Closer than Brothers
by Spouse of Orestes
Summary: The night Harry defeats Voldemort is a true test of his friendship with Ron. A post Hogwarts tale of life and death after the Final Battle. I began writing this before HBP, so it does not follow canon based on Book 6 and there won't be any spoilers.
1. The Final Battle

**A/N: I'm so happy with the positive response to my first fic "the Ring", so I decided to post this story here as well. This story debuted in Checkmated and isn't finished yet, so my uploads will be slower. My thanks to my Checkmated Beta Buckbeaky. I don't know if she goes to this site, but I want to thank her anyway.**

**Just a warning, this story is full of angst. It involves a hosepipe Hermione, a depressed Harry and Ron, and the death of a lot of HP characters. It will however, have a happy ending--at least that's what I intend at the end, though I haven't written it yet.**

**Disclaimer: Nothing in the Harry Potter world belongs to me. Even the title of this story is borrowed from another book.**

****

**Closer than Brothers**

**By Spouse of Orestes**

"_Brothers by friendship, lady, not by birth."_

_Orestes to Iphigenia_

_(Iphigenia in Tauris by Euripides)_

**Chapter One**

**The Final Battle**

Ron Weasley stared at his best friend with sad eyes. Harry Potter was lying on his back on his four poster bed staring blankly at the ceiling. He had been like that for hours but Ron didn't dare say a word. After almost six years of being Harry's best friend, Ron knew well enough that this was not a time to interrupt Harry's thoughts.

He, Harry and the rest of the members of the Order of the Phoenix earlier met in Dumbledore's office just after midnight a few hours before to plan their final attack on Voldemort. The war had been raging on for the last few months and the casualty toll had been heavy on both sides. The last battle at Hogsmeade just two days ago had been the most devastating so far that it reduced the Order's numbers into a handful. Everyone knew the war couldn't last for very long, what with so few of them left to fight. Dumbledore had made the decision. They would go on the offensive just before sundown at the Riddle House in Little Hangleton. All the remaining Order members as well as the older members of the D.A. were told to be ready to fight in an all or nothing battle. Harry had appeared brave enough during the meeting. When Dumbledore asked him about his opinion, he replied with conviction that he was ready. But Ron knew better. When they left the Dumbledore's office and walked back together to the common room, Ron could see the haunted expression etched on Harry's face. It remained there several hours later.

Ron looked at his watch. It was two hours before dawn but neither he nor Harry had slept a wink. How could they when this could be the last night of their lives? Harry sat up in bed, the first movement he did, and Ron took this as an opening.

"You okay?" He knew it was a stupid question but there was nothing he could think of to say at the moment.

Harry met his eyes and Ron was appalled at his pallid appearance. "Okay in as much as I'm not losing my head knowing I'll probably be dead in a few hours."

Ron fought the urge to cry. He couldn't let Harry brood like this. Sure, they were all scared of dying, but it wouldn't help that they were a bunch of nervous wrecks just hours before battle. They needed to relax. Besides, this was an awful way of spending probably the last time they'd see sunrise.

Ron stood up and felt a firm resolution. "Come on Harry, get up and get your broomstick."

Harry looked at him with a puzzled expression. Ron felt better seeing something other than gloom on his face. "What?"

"We're playing Quidditch, mate. If we're going to die tonight, at least we had one last round of flying."

Harry smiled and followed after him.

* * *

It was the still the most amazing feeling in the world. After all these years, Harry could never feel better than being up in the air flying at death-defying speeds. He and Ron had been racing around the Quidditch pitch under moonlight for over hour and in that span of time, he had forgotten all his tension. In the last few minutes, nothing mattered in the world to him—not the fact that so many had died in the last battles, or that more of his friends would die that night, or that he would finally commit the murder he was prophesied to commit or else be murdered himself. All that mattered was that he was sharing this time with the best friend he had ever had.

Ron summoned a quaffle from the opened Quidditch set they had brought along and he challenged Harry to a one-on-one chaser-only competition. For the next fifteen minutes, they tired themselves out trying to outdo each other. When they were exhausted, they flew down to the stands and sat down.

"Good game," Ron said to him as they settled on the cold bench.

"Yeah, one of the best. Thanks for dragging me out here."

"Always willing to race you anytime."

"Reckon, it might be the last," Harry said sadly.

Ron looked at him seriously. "Listen, Harry don't be like that. We'll defeat Voldemort tonight. I'm sure you'll find a way, and when you do, I'll be there beside you." Ron held out his hand and Harry shook it.

"Thanks," he said. Tears were glistening in his eyes but male pride forbade him to let Ron see it. His heart felt light with gratitude. They had endured so much together, risking their lives for each other countless times, yet they still held together with such strong loyalties. He knew without a doubt Ron would die for him if he had to, just as he would die for him. He gave Ron's hand a tug before looking back into the lightening sky. He did the same and Harry knew Ron understood. It was one of those things he had with Ron that no one else—not even Hermione—could share with him.

"Harry! Ron!"

Harry looked down from where the voice came from and squinted in the semi-darkness. Hermione was running towards the stands, her hair and robes flying.

"Hey Hermione!" Ron called out. "Come on up here and join us."

"Alright I'm climbing up!" she shouted back. She made a move to run under the stands to the stairs, when Ron called again.

"Just fly up here, Hermione!"

"I don't have a broom!" she shouted back. "Why don't one of you come down here and pick me up!"

"No need. I got just the thing!" Ron took out his wand and pointed it at her. "WINGARDIUM LEVIOSA!"

Harry laughed as Hermione began to rise several feet up into the air.

"RON, HOW DARE YOU! PUT ME DOWN!"

She was at level with their stands now, looking very annoyed and windswept.

"Harry, help me!"

Harry finally managed to stop laughing and met Ron's eye. He was grinning evilly and Harry felt the same grin lit up his face. He took out his wand.

"Alright, Hermione. Shall we do it together, Ron?"

Ron's face brightened even more and they said together: "ACCIO HERMIONE!"

Hermione shot forward and fell crashing on them both. For several seconds, they battled to untangle their arms and legs. When Hermione finally managed to extricate herself, she stood and gave them each a smack on the head.

"Don't you ever do that to me again!"

Harry and Ron were still roaring with laughter. "But it was... _ha-ha_... funny Hermione!" Ron roared.

"Yeah... _ha-ha_... you looked... _ha-ha_... hilarious!" Harry managed before he snorted uncontrollably, sending Ron into an even greater fit of giggles. Hermione tried to keep a straight face but she couldn't help it and finally let herself be infected with their laughter.

When they finally calmed down, they sat on the bench. The sun was just beginning to rise and the sky looked magnificent with the colors changing from indigo, receding to blue and ending with yellow. They sat in silence mesmerized by the beauty. Hermione, who sat in the middle, took each of their arms to link with her own pair. She found their hands and she clasped her fingers with theirs.

"I love you," she whispered. Her voice was strained and they knew she was crying. "I love you both."

She turned her face toward Ron and kissed him on the cheek. She did the same to Harry. She looked back towards the sun and sniffled before speaking again. "No matter what happens tonight, promise me we'll still be friends."

Harry couldn't help himself. He flung his arms around her at the same time as Ron did on her other side. They held each other in a group hug as their tears flowed freely. The sun had risen fully but none of them let go.

* * *

Harry clutched his wand and braced himself. This was it. They would be entering Voldemort's hideout and there was no turning back. His scar ached and he knew the dark lord was nearer at each step, though he was not aware of their presence yet. Harry made sure of that. He forced himself to calm down and clear his mind. One overly-excited feeling and he could be giving away their plans through his connection with Voldemort. He focused on what was at hand, using years of training in Occlumency to ensure that nothing penetrated.

Lupin had just given the signal and as one they moved, covered by the disillusionment charm.

The sun was still shining brightly and it would not be setting until an hour later. That was good since the dementors never stayed under direct sunlight and were in the shadows in the wooded area away from the house. The aurors that moved in first had driven them away and they were able to enter the open field in front of the house.

Harry saw Tonks take down two guards in utmost silence. So far so good; they hadn't been detected yet. She gave the all-clear signal. He moved forward. He felt Ron and Hermione beside him. Any second now...

A blast of cold hit him all of a sudden, and suddenly Harry was on alert. The dementors! They were back and they were all around them.

"Expecto Patronum!" someone finally shouted. A silver mist appeared out of nowhere and began to charge around the hooded figures that appeared from the woods. Then suddenly, Death Eaters were appearing and there were shouts from the house. It was an ambush!

Spells began to fly everywhere. Members of the Order appeared as they got hit with spells. Harry managed to stay covered, as well as most of the other members of the Order. They had at least the advantage of being almost invisible. Harry let out spell after spell, not stopping or bothering to look what happened to those he hit. He was near the house now. When he got to a window he blasted it open and jumped in. Ron and Hermione jumped in after him and started shouting spells. When they were able to pause momentarily, they disillusioned themselves. They didn't want to risk hitting each other with their spells when they were fighting indoors. Other members of the Order were crashing into the house but more Death Eaters were still appearing.

Harry lost track of time. He was focused on nothing but finding Voldemort and no Death Eater could get in his way. He shouted spells and avoided curses like it was second nature. He felt neither fear nor weariness. All that mattered was survival and attaining his goal.

And then he felt it. His scar burned and he knew Voldemort was near. He rushed onward and came to an enormous kitchen. He found Neville battling with Bellatrix Lestrange in one corner. He felt a surge of anger as he thought of Sirius. But before he could make a move toward her, Neville blasted her with a spell so powerful she crashed into the kitchen counter and remained there unmoving.

He felt his scar burn again and he turned to see a back door leading outside into the cemetery. Voldemort was outside. Ron came hurtling through the kitchen door followed by curses. He quickly stood up and resumed his spell casting like he wasn't even hurt by the blast. There were shouts behind him and Harry knew more Death Eaters were at their heels.

He met Neville's eyes. "I'll cover for you. Go do what you have to do."

Harry nodded and raced to the door. He heard Hermione and Luna shouting behind him and he knew Neville and Ron at least had good allies.

He ran outside and was surprised that it was already dark, save for the moonlight. Everything there was still. A soft, eerie breeze touched his cheeks and he ran forward toward the gravestones. He was startled when he heard someone running a few feet behind him. By instinct, he shot a curse. It slammed into something in the air and deflected to the ground. When the light from his wand disappeared, he saw Ron.

"It's me, Harry!" he said. He had already raised a shield charm around him.

"Ron, what are you doing here?" he asked.

"I'm coming with you. I know he's near."

"Go back Ron! I have to do this alone!" Harry shouted.

"I'm not going to leave you. I promised you that!" Ron shouted back.

Harry didn't want to argue, his scar was throbbing even more painfully now, but he had to get Ron away somehow.

"This is my fate, Ron, not yours!"

"Then it's my fate to stay with you!" Ron declared. Harry looked at his best friend with his face full of conviction and he knew there was nothing he could do to make him leave. Ron would fight beside him to the end. He gave Ron a small smile but a split-second later, he felt his scar sear so painfully that he fell to his knees. And then he saw him: a thin figure with sallow skin and eyes that burned. Before he could react, both his and Ron's wands went flying.

"How touching, Harry, that you have found a true friend." Voldemort hissed in an almost inhuman voice that seemed to echo from inside his head, deafening him with its intensity. "Is he willing to die for you?Crucio!"

The spell didn't hit him but he felt a pain almost like a physical one as Ron screamed in agony. Harry didn't think but tried to hurl himself on Voldemort physically, but he was held back by an invisible force. Ron's screams momentarily stopped.

"A stupid move Harry and a very childish one."

"Leave him alone and deal with me!" Harry shouted. He summoned his wand with his bare hand and shouted "Expelliarmus!" But Voldemort was ready and shouted the Cruciatus curse. Their wands connected and the phoenix song burst forth. Mist-like figures began to appear, but this time Voldemort didn't seem in the least bothered about them. Harry was startled when Voldmort hissed in his head.

"You can't win this, Harry. You'll soon be just like these ghosts."

"You can't frighten me. I can defeat you." Harry thought back to Voldemort.

"Harry, break the connection!" Ron shouted to him from the side. He had his wand at the ready. Harry swiftly broke the connection and launched a spell at the same time as Ron. But Voldemort was quicker and sent their own spells back at them, sending them flying several feet. Harry felt his left elbow break as he fell on the hard ground. He heard Ron crash and gave a cry of pain as he fell face down on a concrete headstone. He felt around him and saw a familiar marker. Tom Riddle Senior's.

"This looks familiar," Voldemort laughed. He put Harry and Ron on a body bind spell, before levitating Ron and sending him crashing down again next to Harry.

"Brothers to the end?" Voldemort taunted him. "I once remembered what a servant of mine told me about you, Harry. He watched your tournament several years ago and he told me this friend of yours was the one person you would miss most. How much would your miss him, Harry?"

"Don't you dare hurt him!" Harry said, energy was surging around him and he broke the body bind. Without even a wand, he shielded Ron and launched a spell. Voldemort avoided it and it hit a gravestone.

"You're getting good," Voldemort spoke with mock-praise. "But it won't be enough to save your friend's life."

"I won't let you kill him!"

"Oh, I'm not going to kill him, Harry. YOU WILL!"

Harry felt the searing in his scar unlike before and all at once he was turning away from Voldemort and looking at Ron who was trying to get up. He summoned his wand, undid the body bind spell on Ron and advanced on him.

"Harry! Harry don't!"

The words meant nothing to him. He felt himself smile. He had the boy trapped, he had broken his leg and he was inching his way back on the dirty ground. What a pathetic little thing he was.

"Harry, it's me!"

He laughed. _How would Harry Potter feel if I kill him right there?—No! This was wrong! It's Ron! It's Ron! My best mate!—But he has to die!_ "Avada—"

"Harry, please!"

Harry screamed with the terrible pain. He felt desperation and triumph at the same time as he fought back. He dropped his wand and Ron took it.

Harry stared at his best friend's face. Ron's eyes were wide with a mixture of fear and anger. The anger won and Ron pointed the wand at his heart.

"Why don't you kill me, Ron?" he hissed at the boy.

"Leave him alone, Riddle! Leave him alone!" Ron shouted at him.

From inside him, he heard the words though they were not coming from his own mouth. "AVADA KEDAVRA!"

He ignored the blinding pain and fought. He felt the evil leave him as he ran to shield Ron from the curse. All that mattered was that Ron would live!

Harry heard Ron scream something before he felt the curse hit him and Voldemort screamed in agony. He could feel his scar burn away to nothingness but his mind was in a blur and he felt himself lift away and enter something. It felt as if he left a shell and came upon another. But this was nothing like entering Voldemort's mind. It was so peaceful and welcoming and full of love for... himself? But it felt so selfless as if he was caring for himself yet like caring for another. And it was so familiar. So Ron.

Then there was a searing pain on the side of his face and he found himself screaming, but it sounded like Ron's voice not his own. He touched his face and felt it burn, a memory of such pain entered his mind. A forgotten memory when he was young—so young he had forgotten. Unable to bear it anymore he shut his eyes and let unconsciousness take him.

* * *

Hermione knocked a hooded Death Eater and inched her way outside. She had twisted her left ankle in a fight when she ran to face the last Death Eater. Her path was not clear and she had realized Harry and Ron were missing. She had seen them racing outside and she knew they were going after Voldemort. She reached the door and was halfway out when she felt something in her shudder. A brilliant white light flooded the sky, blinding her for a long time before it was gone. Something had happened!

She groped her way toward the graveyard, as fast as her injured legs could carry her. She heard Ron screaming in agony and saw his form fall to the ground to be hidden by shadows of the crosses and gravestones. She turned to run but her ankle gave way. She crawled her way, on the ground aided only by moonlight. Everything was so still. She was far from the house where the fighting, she presumed, was over. She didn't want to think who won. All that mattered was to get to Harry and Ron.

And then she saw them. Harry and Ron were lying on the ground still as death and a few feet away was a mass of robes burned to a crisp. The smell of rotting flesh came from the direction of the burned robes and she felt like vomiting but fought to control the urge.

She reached Ron first. He was curled in a fetal position, his right leg in an awkward position. He was clutching the side of his face and blood was pouring liberally from what she could tell was a large wound. She hurriedly turned him over was startled to see a lightning-shaped slash that ran from his temple, almost touching his eye, and ended at his neck. She felt his neck for a pulse and cried with relief when she found it. Ron was still alive!

She muttered a spell to stop the blood flow. Her hope was renewed and she gently laid Ron back on the ground and crawled to where Harry lay on his side, his back to her. She gently pulled him to her and turned his face. All at once she saw his eyes. They were an expansive green staring blankly at her.

"Harry?" she gasped, her tears were now running down her cheeks. She felt for his pulse, willing for something there. There was none.

Hermione felt as if a dam had collapsed in her heart as she cradled Harry's head over her chest. She was shaking uncontrollably and her tears wet his forehead, now without the scar he had born since he was barely a year old.

Hermione pulled her head back and screamed his name.


	2. Ancient Magic

**Chapter Two**

**Ancient Magic**

"_This is a friend, whose life,  
dear to me as my own, I would preserve."_

- _(Orestes on Pylades, Iphigenia in Tauris by Euripides)_

"_Harry?"_

"_Ron, I'm here."_

"_Where?"_

"_I don't know. Where are you?"_

"_I'm not sure, where are you coming from? I can't see you."_

"_I can't see you either."_

"_What happened?"_

"_Voldemort's destroyed. It was you, Ron. You helped me destroy him. It was like what the prophecy said: I have something that Voldemort knows not. It was love, Ron. It was our bond so strong that Voldemort can't stand it. It was just like what my mother did to me."_

"_But the curse? He tried to kill me."_

"_I got in the way. I saved you."_

"_But I tried to save you, too. I took the curse. All I was thinking about was that you mattered more than me. And I tried to put up a protection spell at the last minute."_

"_Er—hang on. You took the curse?"_

"_Yeah, I felt it."_

"_So did I."_

"_Blimey, Harry! Do you think we're... dead?"_

"_I'm not sure. I might be. I felt something when the curse hit me. It was like... leaving my body and going off somewhere."_

"_Didn't feel anything like that. Just this pain on my face."_

"_You got something on your face too?"_

"_Yeah from my head to my neck. I think I'll be getting a scar like you."_

"_Wait a minute. Right side of the face?"_

"_Yeah, it bloody feels like hell."_

"_I feel that, too."_

"_Huh?"_

"_Okay, what is going on?"_

"_Are you saying you can feel the same things I'm feeling?" _Swack!

"_Ow! Harry, what did you do that—wait a minute, I did that!"_

"_Did you just hit yourself or did I?"_

"_Harry, this really weird. How could you be...unless I'm..."_

"_I think I'm dead, Ron."_

"_Don't say that. You're not. How can you talk to me if you're dead?"_

"_I don't know. Maybe this is what it's like. Maybe this is all a dream and we'll wake up, or maybe you'll wake up because if I'm dead... I can't."_

"_You will, Harry... don't...Merlin, I'm—" _

"_Don't cry; its okay."_

"_How'd you know? ...Somehow that sounds stupid."_

"_Yeah, I know but I can't understand it."_

"_You're not dead Harry."_

"_How would you know?"_

"_I can feel you. You feel too real."_

"_We're not sure. You feel real, too, but maybe this is just an illusion. I think I'm really dead. I don't feel like myself. It's like I'm somewhere else."_

"_Harry..."_

"_No, it's true. I don't feel like I used to... It's like I'm not what I used to be... If I am... you know... then... I hope you'll be happy."_

"_Harry, don't say that. I won't be happy unless you're there. Let's not talk about death alright, you're scaring me."_

"_Alright. I'll leave it at that. Merlin, that cut hurts."_

"_Right about that—Bleach!!"_

"_Bleach!!"_

"_What was that?"_

"_I think some healer made me drink something. I'm feeling a bit..."_

"_Sleepy..."_

"_Yeah...I think we need... sleep... Ron..."_

"_Alright... talk to you la—"_

Ron woke up to find himself in the dark, his face still throbbing with pain. He was in bed somewhere, probably St. Mungo's. His mind drifted back to his conversation with Harry. Was he just dreaming that he talked to Harry? He didn't believe his best friend was dead, he felt so near him. It was like a bond to Harry he couldn't explain existed within him and he knew his best friend was still alive.

Ron ignored the pain and forced himself out of the bed. His legs felt wobbly and he remembered he had broken a leg, the same one he had broken in his third year. The healers must have fixed it. He could walk but he was still a little unsteady. After a few minutes, he felt sure enough to walk about his room. He could hear somebody breathing evenly in the next bed and he groped around looking for a way to put some light in the room. He found the edge of the curtains to the windows and pushed them aside to let the moonlight in. There were only two other beds in his room. One had Ginny in it, in the other lay Hermione, who was sleeping with a bandaged head.

He sighed with relief as he saw them. Ginny looked the worse for wear but he was sure she would be alright. He gave his sister a kiss on the forehead before proceeding to go to Hermione's bedside. A flash of light from the window caught his attention and he looked up to see fireworks going off in the distance. He watched if for a few moments wondering what was going on. Then he heard two voices from the hallway through the slightly open door.

"What a relief! It's finally over! We'll have peace at last!" a man was saying outside.

"Yes it is. People are celebrating out there. I reckon we deserved it, but I don't feel like celebrating, not when I see the wards full of the wounded and the morgues full of the dead. It's just sad, so sad."

The first man sighed. "Sad indeed. And this room's probably the saddest. That girl, that pretty brunette. She's been downright hysterical when she came in. Had to give her a calming potion and sleeping draughts every night. When she wakes up, she walks around like she's dead. Heard some rumors before that she was Harry Potter's girl. Poor thing and her other friend, the redhead, he hasn't woken up. Three days now. He'll survive, but he'll have that nasty scar on his face."

"I heard he took on You-Know-Who with Potter."

"Yeah, brave lad. But it won't be happy for him when he wakes up and hears. Heard he and Harry Potter were friends."

Ron felt something tighten his throat. What did they mean by "he won't be happy when he wakes up and hears?" Did something happen to Harry?

He was about to go out and demand what happened when the next words knocked him off his senses:

"Brave Harry Potter. He saved us all, it's sad he had to die with You-Know-Who..."

It couldn't be! Harry couldn't be dead! He couldn't believe that. He talked to him before he fell asleep!

Ron waited until the voices had receded and peered outside the deserted hallway. He slowly crept outside and looked for signs posted on the walls indicating each department of the hospital. He found what he needed and headed for the elevator doors and pushed the button for the basement. When he got to the floor he followed the empty corridor until he found what he was looking for.

Ron had been to the morgue only once—when Percy died a year before and he had to identify the body. Wizarding morgues housed the bodies that were preserved to be burned in the traditional wizarding funeral rites. The last time he had been here, there were no more than five corpses, but now there were so many covered caskets that the room seemed so small. Each one was labeled with a name. He passed many names, familiar names to him of old schoolmates, and members of the Order. He felt a twinge of sadness at each name but he felt relieved that they did not contain his best friend's.

Finally he noticed one casket that seemed to stand out from the rest. It was set at the back of the room with a cloth of Gryffindor colors placed over it. On closer inspection, he saw it bore the Hogwarts seal. Ron felt his heart constrict and he paused to deliberate whether to continue or turn back. But he had to know. Gathering all the courage he had, he pulled the cloth and saw the name:

_Harry James E. Potter_

Ron tried to turn away but he couldn't help but glance at the glass case that revealed the content of the casket: a familiar face, wearing his glasses and Hogwarts robes.

He felt sick; he had to get out of there. He ran out of the room and got into the elevator. He returned to his room without anybody noticing and collapsed into the edge of the nearest bed. It was Hermione's but he didn't wake her. He crawled under the covers beside her. He needed her next to him, even if she wasn't awake.

Harry was dead! Harry was dead! He was just dreaming when he spoke to him. But it was so real... so real... Even now he still felt real, as if he was nearby.

He sobbed on Hermione's pillow, cried until there were no more tears and sleep mercifully took him.

Harry opened his eyes to find his eyelids wet and Hermione sleeping softly next to him. He wondered how he ended up sleeping next to Hermione but he felt too tired to care. His whole body ached as if he had run too fast and his emotions felt raw.

"Harry..." Hermione murmured sadly in her sleep.

Harry sat up on bed. "I'm here."

"No... Harry. No!" She began to toss violently and Harry shook her until she wakened with tears in her eyes. When she saw him, she looked a bit relieved and hugged him tight.

"Hey, it's okay. I'm alright," he murmured as he patted her on the back. "We'll be fine."

"But Harry's..."

"I'm a bit sore, but I reckon I'll pull through. Talked to Ron last night I think. We had a strange conversation of me dying, but I think it was a dream... or something."

Hermione pulled away from his embrace and gave him a puzzled expression. "Ron?"

"Where is he anyway?"

"Where is who?" Hermione asked.

"Ron? Is he okay?"

"What do you mean, are _you_ okay? The healers said you'll be fine but you'll have that scar."

Harry felt his face and found the scar on his right cheek. "Nothing new about that, after the one on my forehead." He ran his hands on his forehead and found it was no longer there. "Hey, it disappeared."

"What disappeared?"

"My scar. The one on my forehead."

"Ron, what are you... " her face sank and she began sobbing again.

"What is it?" Harry asked, suddenly worried for her.

"Ron, please don't..."

"Don't what? I'm not Ron."

Hermione was almost hysterical now. "Just stop it Ron, stop it!"

"What are you talking about?"

"Stop pretending you're Harry!"

"But I am Harry, what are you on about?"

"Shut up, Ron!"

"I have no idea what you're talking about. I'm not Ron!"

A healer had come running to their room. "What's going on? Ms. Granger are you al—" she stopped and glanced at him. "Oh, you're awake. I'll be informing your mother. She's been coming here everyday."

Harry stared at her. Did she just say she was informing his mother? "Um, I think there's a mistake. I don't have a mother. I mean, she's been dead for—"

"Ron, that's enough!"

"Ms. Granger, please," the healer interfered. She summoned a vial with a potion on it and forced her to drink it. Hermione quickly quieted down and a minute later she was fast asleep. The healer looked at him sadly. "She hasn't been herself since... I'm really sorry about... I supposed you've heard... I'm really sorry."

"Sorry about what?" Harry asked.

"You're..." and she burst out into tears. "It's really not my place." She ran off like she was frightened of him.

Harry watched her puzzled but he was feeling tired. He climbed back to his own bed and promptly fell asleep.

"_Harry..."_

'_Yes, Ron?"_

"_What the—H-harry, where are you?"_

"_Lying on a bed I think. What's wrong? You're crying."_

"_(sniff) Are you a... ghost?"_

"_No. At least I don't think so. I got up a few minutes ago. Talked to Hermione or rather—she was rather shaken. She's a bit confused, she thinks I'm you. The healer gave her something to calm her down. What do you think is going on?"_

"_Harry... you're..."_

"_What?"_

"_You're dead, Harry."_

"_No, I'm not. I just told you I got up and talked to Hermione."_

"_But I saw you. I saw your... body... in the morgue..."_

"_WHAT!"_

"_I went down to the basement when I heard someone talking about you. I had to see, and you were..."_

"_But how could that be... I'm..."_

"_I don't know, but don't go, please. Keep talking to me."_

"_I'm not going anywhere, but I wish I could see you. Where are you anyway?"_

"_On a bed in a room in St. Mungo's. How about you?"_

"_Same thing."_

"_You don't... feel like you're in a... you know... casket?"_

"_No, just a bed I think."_

"_I'm getting up."_

Ron opened his eyes and looked around the room. Early morning light was streaming in from the opened windows. It was the same room he had woken up in before. Hermione was still in the next bed and Ginny on the other side of his bed at the far end of the room next to the wall.

"Harry?"

"_Here, Ron... That's weird. You just said my name but it feels like I said it myself."_

"_Where are you?"_

"_In a room in St. Mungo's. I'm looking at Hermione."_

"_So am I. Where are you?"_

"_Sitting in bed looking at Hermione."_

Ron glanced around. There was nobody there except himself, Hermione and Ginny.

"_Which bed?"_

"_The one in the middle."_

Ron looked at the empty space of the bed beside him. He groped around at the empty space expecting to hit something.

"_Did you just clutch at the air?"_

"_Yeah. I thought you might be sitting there beside me, invisible."_

"_I did the same thing."_

"_Alright, this is really freaking me out."_

Ron got up and paced around the room, looking for a ghostly figure of Harry hovering around him. He found a door at the end of the room that led to a small bathroom. A mirror hung on the wall of the loo and he stopped without meaning to. He looked at himself in the mirror.

"Ron!" he heard himself say it though he wondered what made him do so.

"_Ron, I can see you!"_

"_From where?"_

"_From the mirror."_

Ron peered closely at the glass, looking for Harry in the background. There was nothing there and when he looked behind him there was nothing but empty space. He looked back at the mirror.

"_Ron, I'm seeing you in the mirror, but I'm looking at myself!"_

"_What do you mean—Harry, where the bloody hell are you!"_

"_I'm telling you, I'm looking at myself in the mirror, but I'm seeing your face, not mine!"_

Ron stared at the image of himself. He looked tired and haggard and the scar on his face was terrible, but otherwise he didn't look any different. He slowly moved his fingers to his face and traced the outline of his scar. He closed his eyes savoring his own touch and when he opened them again there was nothing different.

_I think I'm going crazy. _Ron thought to himself. He had seen Harry dead and he was pretending he was still talking to his best friend.

"_Ron?"_

_There it was again. But he felt so real._

"_Ron, can you hear me?"_

"_Yes, Harry. But you're dead. How can you talk to me, unless I'm getting deranged?"_

Ron felt a sadness he couldn't explain and all at once regretted saying he was crazy, as if he offended himself with the thought. He felt as if he had lost something and tears began to pour down his cheeks.

"_I'm dead, Ron. You're right, I'm dead."_

"_Harry..."_

"_But I think I'm somewhere else. I think I'm inside you. I'm in your body, Ron."_

"What!"

"_There you just said 'what!' and I said the same thing without meaning to."_

"_But how..."_

"_I don't know... maybe... maybe I entered your mind somehow because my body's dead, but later I'll... I'll go away..."_

"_Don't go, Harry! Stay with me!" _

"_I don't think I could go even if I wanted to. I don't know how. But are you sure you don't mind?"_

"_Mind? Harry don't be daft. I don't mind you inside me. It's a bit weird but it's bloody brilliant!"_

"_You think?"_

"_Yeah, just wicked, Harry. Like you're a part of me. How do you feel?"_

"_It's a little odd. A new body and everything." _Ron felt his hands to touch his head and ruffle his own hair. _"It's kind of unnerving, feeling my hair lie flat. And the view has certainly improved."_

"_Now you've finally know what it's like to be tall. And you don't have to wear glasses anymore."_

"_Yeah, but now I've got freckles. Guess you can't have everything."_

"_Oy, there's nothing wrong with my freckles. Just because you had great skin before—" _

"_I'm not complaining, mate. I can live with the freckles."_

Ron laughed and he felt Harry laugh with him. There were footsteps behind and he turned to see his mother. Her eyes were puffy and she looked liked she hadn't slept for days. She enveloped him in a long hug before pulling him back to his bed.

"How are you feeling, Ron dear?" she asked when they sat comfortably on the edge of his bed.

"Okay, I suppose. Just a bit sore."

His mother sat in uncomfortable silence for a long time. Ron knew she was deliberating whether she should tell him about Harry.

"_Harry, do you think we should—"_

"_Tell her? I don't know about that. Maybe we shouldn't. Not until we know more about this thing. I mean, we don't know maybe I'll go away eventually and it's no use—" _

"_Look, you're not going away. Not if I can help it."_

"_We're not sure about that. Maybe this is just a temporary thing before I go to the afterlife."_

"_You're not going to the afterlife without me, Harry. So don't talk about it."_

"Ron, are you alright?"

His mother was peering at him closely with worry on her face. Ron realized his facial expression must have shown his conversation with Harry and he carefully rearranged it back to what he thought was normal.

"I'm fine," he said. They lapsed into silence again and Ron couldn't bear to see his mother looking distraught like that. "I know, about... about Harry."

His mother fell to sobbing. "I didn't know how to tell you. I'm so sorry, dear. So sorry." He hugged Ron and he hugged her back though he couldn't grieve with her.

"_Let's not tell her yet, Ron. Let's not tell anyone yet. I mean, I don't want to get their hopes up."_

"_Alright, Harry. It's our secret for the moment."_

"I loved him like a son, too," his mother said. "I wish I could have been a better mother to him. He was so young..."

"Thank you. I love you, too. And I couldn't find a better Mum. You were the best." Ron heard himself speak though he knew it was Harry talking.

"I wish I could have said it to him. Why didn't I ever say it when he was there? I loved him so much and now he'll never hear it."

"I'm hearing you now. I'm so happy, thank you so much Mrs.—"

"Mum!" Ron cut through Harry's words with his own before they gave themselves away. Molly looked at him with a puzzled expression, but she let it go and hugged him again.


	3. Grief and Comfort

**A/N: I found out that there's something wrong with my document. There was supposed to be a break whenever I change POVs and it refused to appear when I upload. I'm trying to put a line in between them to make it clearer.**

****

**Chapter Three**

**Grief and Comfort**

"Bishop to D5," Harry commanded. But even before the last of his three white pieces could move, he knew he made a mistake. He felt triumphant when there was nothing to be triumphant about. He was losing the game.

His mouth involuntarily moved to form the words: "Pawn to C8! Checkmate!"

Harry was feeling extremely put off. Having Ron gloat after winning a chess match was bad enough, but having to feel Ron's revelry physically was downright ridiculous. It was like gloating at himself.

"_Merlin, Ron! Even in your body, I still lose to you!"_

"_It's all in my mind Harry, not in my body. You can't share my chess skills even if you're in me. That would be like playing by myself."_

To anybody watching, it would seem that Ron had been playing by himself for the last two hours in the living room at the Burrow. It had been three days since they discovered that they were sharing Ron's body. This morning, the healers had finally discharged them along with Ginny and Fred on the condition that they convalesce at home.

It had been a rather depressing homecoming for them both. Even though the war against Voldemort had been won, the victory came with a price. One by one, the news of their dead friends and classmates began to come in since they had first awaked from the hospital: Dean Thomas, Ernie McMillan, Susan Bones, Dennis Creevy, Parvati Patil, Anthony Goldstein, Zacharias Smith, Katie Bell and Lee Jordan. The last battle had wiped out almost half of the original members of the D.A. as well as a number of younger students that joined the D.A. when Dumbledore made it a legal organization in their sixth and seventh year. At the same time it took a number of members of the Order: Kingsley Shacklebolt, Emmeline Vance, Hestia Jones, and Dedalus Diggle, aside from Hagrid and Snape who died in earlier battles.

Very few of those who did managed to come out alive left the Riddle House unscathed that day. Most, like Arthur and George Weasley were still confined in intensive care wards at St. Mungo's. It was a miracle that the remaining Weasleys all managed to survive that last battle. The family had endured too much already when Percy was tortured and killed by Death Eaters in a Ministry attack last year and Charlie died in an earlier battle five months ago.

It was an all too sad time for everyone. In addition to the casualties, the wizarding world was in a state of chaos. The Ministry of Magic was in shambles and the major wizarding settlements were devastated. A lot of families had lost their homes or businesses. Even Fred's and George's jokeshop had burned down in the last few days just before the final battle.

This was why Harry was glad for the distraction of chess, even if he did get slaughtered again for the third straight game. It helped take his and Ron's mind off things. It was better than brooding and focusing on the grief, they had been doing that for three days and Ron's tear ducts were already dry. Hermione hadn't been able to see them since that time when Harry talked to her. Her parents had taken her home after she was discharged. They were shocked, angry and hurt that she never told them anything what was happening in her world until they heard news about her latest injury. In an owl she sent Ron (which they figured she had to smuggle with Pig when they sent her an earlier message), she said her parents were forbidding her to go back to the wizarding world at all. But she assured Ron she would find a way to get back. Neither Ron nor Harry was worried about this. Hermione always found a way to get what she wanted. She was that smart, though they wished she would come soon.

Harry tried to suppress a yawn but Ron let it continue. As much as Harry hated to admit it, it was late and they were tired. He and Ron didn't want to go to sleep as much as possible. Being awake may be depressing but sleeping always gave both of them nightmares. Harry's were always of the night they fought Voldemort. During the battle he was too busy to take in details but now it all came back to him. There were brutal deaths that night and in his dreams he relived the fall of some of his friends as they forced their way into the house. But the one that haunted him most was the image of Ron crouching on the ground begging him to recognize him. In his dreams he could feel his body being possessed again, forcing him to threaten his best friend. It made him feel disgusted with his own body, knowing he had been violated with such evil. When he would awaken, he would be relieved as he realized he was inside Ron—something pure and untainted though still strange in many ways from what he was used to with his own body.

Ron didn't say what his nightmares were but Harry could guess it was of him going away and never coming back. Every time Ron would awaken he would call on him and Harry could feel Ron's agitation until he responded.

"_It's been a long day, Harry,"_ Ron said. _"I know you hate going to sleep because of the nightmares. They did give us a dreamless potion. We could use it tonight."_

"_Alright, Ron. Let's go up to bed."_

Ron picked up his wand and said a spell to clear up the chess pieces. They were about to head upstairs when they heard a bell ring. By instinct Harry grabbed his own wand, so they were holding two wands in one hand. The bell had been a warning signal installed as part of the wards around the Burrow. Even though the war was over there were still some Death Eaters on the loose and Molly had taken the extra precaution to make certain the house was safe. The bell indicated that someone had just apparated just beyond the fence—the closest possible area in the Burrow where one could apparate.

Ron muttered a spell at the front door and the opaque wood turned into something that resembled a mirror. It revealed the person beyond the fence. It was quite dark but they recognized immediately the person standing at the gate from her bushy hair. Ron went to the window and called out "Hermione?"

"Ron, it's me," came her reply. "Let me in."

"Lumos!" Harry cried to get a better look at the same time Ron opened the door and cast a spell on the gate with his own wand. Harry marveled at the skill Mrs. Weasley had in putting up wards around the house. It could only be removed by a Weasley and no one could come in aside from a list of people Mrs. Weasley pre-approved when she first placed it. Hemione was among the list so they didn't have to counter check if it was really her. Not even polyjuiced wizards disguising as friends could get beyond the gate.

Hermione was wearing a dressing gown over her pajamas. She looked liked she had just gotten out of bed in the middle of the night though she was wide awake. When she walked through gate she grasped Ron's left hand in a tight grip.

"My parents don't know I came but I had to see you." She paused as she saw him holding two wands.

"I er... kept Harry's wand safe," Harry hurriedly explained.

Hermione's eyes glistened with tears.

"Come into the house," Ron said. He put an arm around her and led her in. "Everybody here's asleep; let's go up to my room."

They climbed the stairs in silence and when Ron had closed the door Hermione suddenly flung herself at them, sobbing.

"I missed you so much. It's horrible. My parents wouldn't let me go out so I had to pretend I was asleep before I apparated. I heard about the others before I left St. Mungo's and I haven't stopped crying. My parents are no help. I wanted to tell them their being unfair to me for keeping me away, but I feel too guilty for not telling them anything. I should have just told them from the start."

Harry patted her on the back. "It's alright. Maybe they'll come around eventually. Just explain to them you need to be with us. I'm sure they'll let you soon enough."

"It all just seems so much. This thing with my parents, right when so many have gone and Harry... Ron," she held to him tighter. "I thought I lost you, too."

"Hey, I'm still here," Harry said, though he felt Ron say the same thing. He felt sick. He had always felt guilty of all the deaths that had occurred in the fight against Voldemort. Despite reassurances, he always felt it was his fault that they died because Voldemort was trying to get to him. But he never thought it was equally painful to know that someone was hurt because you left them.

"_Harry, let's tell her."_

Harry considered it. It would ease her pain somehow to know he was still around. But what if he wasn't meant to remain? He and Ron hadn't had time to figure out what happened to them. They were in too much grief to think of it. What if tomorrow he would go away for good? Was it worth giving Hermione that false hope?

"_Not yet, Ron. Please. Let's just comfort her. I don't want her to expect anything when maybe there's nothing to expect."_

"_Harry!"_

"_Look, I can't handle this right now. We don't know what happened to us and I don't want her to exhaust herself figuring this out when she's all tired and just needs a shoulder to cry on. We all need that!"_

Ron breathed a sigh of resignation. _"Alright Harry, for now." _

They let Hermione sob silently for several minutes. When she quieted, she pulled slightly from them and they led her to sit at the edge of the bed.

"I haven't asked you how you are or your family." she said guiltily. "I'm sorry I'm being selfish."

"It's alright," Ron replied. They kept an arm around her. "We're surviving. Mum's fine. Dad and George are still in hospital though they're out of danger. Fred and Ginny are here but they're in a pretty bad state. Not physically, I mean... Ginny... she's been... it's hard for her seeing Dean..."

Ron couldn't go on and neither could Harry. Ginny wouldn't speak of what she saw when her boyfriend died, but the casualty reports were telling enough. Dean had more than twenty lacerations on different parts of his body. He had obviously suffered from a series of slash curses. He was just one of the many victims of brutal deaths that night and Harry knew that each death would always leave a bruise on his soul.

Harry found himself sobbing. He had never felt his emotions slamming against him twice as hard and he knew it doubled because Ron was feeling the same thing. All three of them cried themselves to sleep that night.

* * *

Ron woke to find his eyes wide open and his fingers gently stroking Hermione's hair as she slept facing him. He knew Harry had wakened earlier than he had, but as usual he called out to be sure.

Harry startled and pulled away from Hermione. Ron could feel something like embarrassment on Harry's part but he quickly dismissed it. _"I'm still here Ron." _

"_You alright?"_

"_Yeah. Didn't have any nightmares, it's a first and we didn't even drink the potion."_

"_Me, too. I'm glad Hermione's here."_

Hermione stirred and slowly opened her eyes. She looked bloodshot and tired but she managed to give him a weak smile. Despite the worry lines in her face, Ron thought she looked beautiful. She moved toward him, shifting careful so as not to fall off the small single bed. He moved a bit so he was on his back and Hermione rested her head on his chest with her arm around his waist.

Breathe! Ron thought to himself. He had never been this physically intimate with Hermione and he tried to suppress his pounding heart, knowing Harry could feel any physiological sensation he was having. He quickly patted her back like a good friend. There, surely Harry wouldn't suspect anything. We're just a couple of friends comforting each other.

Hermione lifted her head but instead of getting up, her face hovered inches above his. He met her eyes and he was lost at her gaze. Slowly, her eyes move down to his lips.

He was startled when his face suddenly turned violently to the left and he felt Hermione's lips land on his cheek. Then he was pushing her gently and getting out of the bed. His heart was racing and he could feel the beginnings of a blush in his cheeks, but on his mind he was feeling extremely disappointed.

He tried to look back at her, but Harry was doing the exact opposite. The result was a painful jumble of nerves as he tried to turn back and look away at the same time.

"Let's go down for breakfast, shall we?" Harry spoke before he could say anything.

Ron wanted to curse Harry, but he realized Harry just saved both of them from what could be an embarrassing situation. He decided to let Harry take control and not look at her.

"Oh no! What time is it?" Hermione exclaimed.

"Six o'clock, I think," Harry answered promptly.

"I have to get home. I transfigured a pillow to look like me under the covers sleeping, but I need to get back home before my parents find out I'm out of the house. She put on her dressing gown and got into her slippers. "Can I apparate out of here or will the wards repel me?"

"No," Ron replied. "You can apparate out, but you can't apparate in."

She took out her wand. "Good, at least we don't have to go outside." She gave him a brief hug. "Take care, Ron. Tell your family I'm thinking of them, especially Ginny. I'll try to come back when I get the chance."

With a loud pop, she was gone. They quickly went downstairs where his mother was busy preparing eggs and sausages.

"Oh dear, I need to be at the hospital early today and I'm afraid I haven't started lunch yet and I don't have time. I know its short notice and I know Ginny's not up to it, but she knows how to cook a bit and perhaps you could persuade her to help you prepare something for you and Fred for lunch."

"Oh, it's alright. I can take care of it. I know how to cook," Harry answered.

Molly eyed him in surprise. "Since when?"

"_Harry, I have never cooked anything in my life."_

"_Sorry, didn't realize. Force of habit."_

"Uhm... I mean... I can make sandwiches," Ron saved. "I mean it's just a few pieces of bread and whatever's in the pantry. I'm sure I can make something up."

"Thank you dear," Molly said gratefully. "By the way, an owl arrived today. Dumbledore's set a mass funeral on Saturday at eight in the evening at Hogwarts Lake," she paused and swallowed hard. "There will be a separate one for Harry on Sunday night."

"What!" Ron exclaimed. He was suddenly on alert. How could they have forgotten? Harry's body would be having funeral rites soon and traditional wizarding rites for the dead meant his body was to be burned over water. Suddenly the full implications of it all struck Ron. If there was a possibility of resurrecting Harry, they needed his body!

"Sunday! But that's in five days! They can't!"

Molly turned to him and gave him an embrace. "I know it seems so soon, but maybe it would be better this way. The funeral rites are always a comfort because there is closure for everyone. I'm sure Harry would have wanted it."

Ron could feel Harry's nervousness and he knew exactly that Harry didn't want it at all. In fact, he was horrified by the thought. Ron didn't say anything to his mother though and he and Harry hurriedly finished their breakfast and saw her out as she apparated, leaving them with instructions to make sure Ron's siblings ate.

"_What do we do now?"_ Ron asked when they were finally alone.

"_I don't know. I mean we haven't got a clue why I'm still here. It's possible I can't go back into my body at all."_

"_We can't be sure of that, and until we are, we have to keep that body of yours intact. I know the healers can preserve the body for a couple of days until the funeral. We just have to find out till then what exactly happened and maybe we could get you back."_

"_How? We don't know, Ron." _

Ron shrugged. He wished Hermione was here, but she couldn't help them, being locked up as she was. But an idea struck him.

"_Time to do a Hermione, Harry. Let's check out the library."_


	4. Harry's Funeral

**Chapter Four**

**Harry's Funeral**

Harry slammed the large book he and Ron had been reading at the empty Hogwart's library in his frustration.

"_Harry, I was reading that!" _Ron complained.

"_It's no use. We'll never find anything to get me back. I think we've already found what we need to know and there's nothing we can do."_

"_Oh what do a few books know?"_

"_Ron, we've been through every book on life, death, the soul, killing curses and the human body in this library, even in the restricted section. Everything says the same thing."_

"_On what in particular?"_

Harry reached for one of the books on general reference of deadly spells and began to read:

"Any living being hit with the Avada Kedavra curse dies because the spell causes all organs to stop functioning immediately. A dead organ can not be revived at all and there is no way to return them to life. And here," he reached out for another book. "Upon death, the soul directly ejects from the body and there is no known way of returning it. The souls may choose to walk as phantoms of their former selves, more commonly known as ghosts. But as ghosts have reported, most souls choose to take another path that is to what can only be known as the afterlife. No further information on this state is known as no soul has been known to return from the afterlife." Harry pushed the book away.

"_There, it's the same thing over and over again on every book. We can't resurrect me."_

They had been stealing out of the house and flooing into Hogwarts for the past five days whenever Molly left for St. Mungo's. The Weasley home, fortunately, was among the few places connected to the exclusive Hogwarts floo network since the start of the war, so it was easy enough to come and go to Hogwarts without anyone else's knowledge. In addition, Madam Pince was still among the injured at the hospital so it gave them the opportunity to explore the library's restricted section. It had been quite a task at first as alarms had initially triggered when they tried to enter the restricted section. But eventually, they managed to get around the security with a few well-placed silencing charms on each book they took off the shelf. They didn't, however, find anything significant.

With just two hours before Harry's funeral, Ron was practically panicking. In truth, Harry had already given up hope in ever getting back to his own body much earlier. He was dead and there was no way of going back. He had learned that long ago when Sirius had been murdered. He didn't really mind going on to the next step, whatever that was, in the afterlife. Since the end of his fifth year he had contemplated the possibility of dying and he wasn't afraid. But it was the thought of the pain he would cause Ron if he let his hopes down that kept him from telling him to let go. But now it was pointless to go on. There was no more time left.

Ron buried his face in his hands and cursed.

"_Look, Ron. It's okay. If it's not meant to be, we'll just have to let it go. Come on, let's go home, your mother will be back soon to pick us up and we need to be there."_

Harry stood up and Ron let him walk them out of the library into the nearest fireplace. He grabbed some floo powder from the jar on the mantelpiece and stepped into the fireplace. He was about to shout, "the Burrow," when Ron beat him to it by saying something different.

"St. Mungo's!"

"_Ron, what the—" _But they were already caught up in the whirlwind through the vast network of fireplaces. They crashed on the floor and Ron got up before Harry was even reoriented to his surroundings. The fireplace was at the end of an empty hall and Ron quickly ran and turned a corner leading them to the familiar lobby of the hospital. He passed it quickly and came to a flight of stairs, but this time instead of going up, Ron ran down the other way, leading to the basement which Harry had never seen before.

"_Ron, where are we going?"_

"_Stopping you from being burned."_

Ron rushed on and they came to a large door of what was apparently a large room. A pair of orderlies was just coming out, levitating a rather large box. There was something imprinted on the box and when Harry looked closely he saw his own name.

"_Ron, you can't mean—"_

"Stop!" Ron yelled to the orderlies. "You can't take him yet!"

The wizards were startled at his outburst and almost dropped Harry's body. "What are you doing here?" the younger looking one asked. "Are you a patient? You must be lost."

Ron ignored him and continued. "Look, I know this sounds weird, but you can't bring him to the funeral—"

The wizards looked at him and comprehension dawned on their faces as they noticed the scar on Ron's face.

"You're Ronald Weasley, aren't you? The boy who survived You-Know-Who," the older man said. He was a big burly man who looked rough and unshaven with his dirty blond beard, but he gave Ron a sad yet kind smile that reminded Harry of Hagrid. He looked at the box with Harry's body and back at him. "I'm so sorry, lad. It must be awful to lose a friend."

"Listen. I know his funeral is in a little more than an hour from now. But I have to ask you not to bring him there."

The older wizard continued to give Ron a look of pity. He gave Ron a comforting hand on the shoulder. "I know this is a bit hard for you, but there's nothing left to it. We have our orders to bring him to Hogwarts now. Now be a good lad and go up those stairs. I'm sure your mate Harry, wherever he is, wouldn't want you to be bothering about his body. Now go on up, lad." They continued to levitate Harry's body down the corridor to the end of the hall where a rather large fireplace had been waiting to floo his entire casket to Hogwarts.

Harry could feel Ron's desperation but Harry was unable to stop Ron from taking his wand out and releasing the levitation spell on his body. It fell to the floor and Ron rushed to it.

"You don't understand," Ron gasped. "Harry's alive! You can't take him!"

The older wizard's expression changed to alarm and he shot sparks from his wand that disappeared up the flight of stairs. In seconds, several wizards appeared.

"We have a situation here with Mr. Weasley," the older man explained to the new arrivals. "Kindly see to him."

"Mr. Weasley," a female healer said sweetly. Too sweetly. It reminded Harry of Dolores Umbridge. "Let's go for a walk shall we? I think your father and brother may be upstairs and I'm sure they'll be glad to see you."

"I'm not leaving here without Harry's body!" Ron made a move to come closer to the box.

"I'm very sorry, Mr. Weasley," the healer said. Harry caught her eye signaling to the other orderlies. He grabbed his own wand and placed a protection spell just as they started firing restraining hexes.

"Accio Harry's Body!" Ron shouted. The box shot forward just as Ron bolted up the stairs, the box following closely behind them.

"_Ron, what the bloody hell are you doing?"_

"_Getting your body back, Harry!"_

"_Are you insane? You can't just steal my body!"_

"_Well I can't let you be burned. They're not going to listen to us, so I'm keeping it safe until they have the sense to understand."_

"_How in the world are you going to do that? We can't get past the healers once we get to the lobby."_

True to Harry's words four or five St. Mungo's employees were standing at the ready in the lobby when they reached the ground floor. Apparently the orderlies at the basement had already informed them. Instinct made Harry cast a protection charm. The second round of restraining hexes bounced safely off of them while Ron continued levitating Harry's casket.

"He could perform two spells at the same time?" Harry heard astonished murmurs from the healers around them. They were surrounded now, but most of them looked slightly afraid of Ron that none of them even thought of casting a spell. Harry released the protection charm.

"Mr. Weasley, please let go," the same female healer said.

"_Ron, just do what she says," _Harry said.

"_No, Harry!"_

"Mr. Weasley, please..."

"_Ron, we can't do this. It's crazy. The healers will think you're mad and we'd both end up with Lockhart."_

"Ron! What are you doing here?" Molly had just come down the stairs with Mad-Eye Moody.

"Mum, we have to delay Harry's funeral! He's still here! He's inside me! You have to—"

"Stupefy!"

Harry was startled with the number of spells that hit them at once from different directions. He didn't even have time to react. He saw a split second of flashing lights from the spells before they both blacked out.

* * *

Harry found himself lying in Ron's bedroom at the Burrow, feeling extremely sore and tired. He heard Ron curse in his head.

"_Damn healers!"_

Harry had to agree. Those hexes were a pain. He tried to get up, but Ron's knees gave way and they fell back to bed.

"_They probably gave us something, a relaxing potion of some sort," _Harry said. He looked at his watch. It read quarter past eight in the evening.

"_We have to get to Hogwarts, Harry!" _Ron jumped. He stood up, a little wobbly at first, but then managed to get out of bed. He frantically searched for their wands. They were placed on his desk next to a note from Molly telling Ron to rest up.

Ron pointed his wand at them.

"_What are you doing?"_

"_Apparating to Hogwarts."_

"_We can't apparate to Hogwarts, we'll get splinched. Didn't you ever listen to Hermione?"_

"_Damn!" _Ron apparated them downstairs to the fireplace and grabbed the flowerpot with the Floo Powder.

They landed ungracefully again at one of the stone fireplaces in Hogwarts near the courtyard. It took them several minutes to get reoriented. It was exhausting what with the potion in Ron's system. But they had little time to think. They moved as quickly as they could outside to the lake. But even before they could approach the edge of the lake where a large crowd had gathered, they could see the flames over the water.

"_NO!"_ Ron screamed and made a move to run to the lake, but Harry stopped him.

"_It's over, Ron. There's nothing we can do."_

Ron sank to the ground. _"I'm not giving up, Harry. We'll find a way to get you back somehow, even without your body."_

* * *

Hermione watched the funeral pyre over the Hogwarts' lake and her vision blurred with tears. It was painful to think that one of her best friends was under that flaming inferno, his body consumed with flames, never to be seen again.

Earlier, she had a sad reunion with some of the Weasleys. They had lost another son and their grief was as deep as hers. Ron wasn't there. Molly told her Ron had barged in at St. Mungo's a while ago, demanding to stay Harry's funeral. No doubt, he was going mad with grief, just like when she woke up next to him and he was speaking nonsense. He was still unconscious at home after being subjected to a calming potion. Molly didn't think it wise to bring Ron to Harry's funeral. "I don't think he could handle it yet," Molly had explained.

Hermione, however, thought how unfair that was for Ron. '_He and I were Harry's best mates, why shouldn't he be here with her to properly say goodbye to Harry?'_

'_Are you feeling this way because you really feel for Ron or are you just looking for someone to comfort you?' _a nagging voice was saying at the back of her mind and Hermione admitted it was also part of the reason. She hadn't had a chance to escape home again after she had gone to the Burrow that night. Her parents had engaged her in a lot of activities of late to help her get over the grief but it hadn't helped much. It only annoyed her and she ended up rowing with her parents.

Her parents had only let her go out tonight to honor Harry after much pleading. She expected Ron to be here and was sorely disappointed when he wasn't.

She was so caught up in her tears and her frustrations that she didn't notice Ron walk calmly toward his family. He had been standing a few feet away from her for several minutes before she realized he was even there.

When she did notice, he was not looking at her but was absorbed on the flames in front of him. She wondered what he was thinking. Was his heart breaking like hers? She wanted to go to him. Surely they could comfort each other. But she stopped herself. There at the corners of his mouth she saw what was unmistakably a small smile. A smile? How could he smile at a time like this? And he looked... amused.

* * *

Harry stared at the flames as they danced in the wind. It was a bit unnerving watching your own funeral rites. But he was more concerned with Ron's spirits.

"_Cheer up. We couldn't do anything about it anyway. Besides, you know they can only keep my body fresh for a few days with a spell. They can't hold it like that forever, I'd rot. If we'd gotten it out, where would we store it? I highly doubt your mum would appreciate a smelly corpse at the Burrow. Besides, if we did manage to return me, I'd probably be half-eaten by maggots. Could you just imagine what I'd look like? I'll be a living nightmare."_

Harry felt Ron suppress a laugh and it felt good.

"_Harry, your funeral is not a good time to make jokes." _Ron admonished, but he still couldn't hide the fact that he was feeling more cheerful.

Harry was encouraged by this opening and decided to keep it up. He was tired of grieving and it was a relief to just to be a bit positive for once.

"_It's my funeral, Ron. You can make jokes at your own funeral and I'll laugh with you then."_

"_Oh, sod off." _Harry laughed inwardly and Ron couldn't help but be infected. However, Harry tried to help his best friend keep from bursting out. It would not look good for Ron to be seen laughing at his funeral.

When they had calmed down a bit, Ron turned serious. _"I should be asking you how you are, mate. You're the one that died."_

"_I'm okay. It's not so bad. Kind of funny actually, that I get to see my own funeral. Not everyday a bloke gets that chance."_

"_Well, you'll get to hear later what people will say about you. I've always wondered how it would be when I die, what would people say about me. You're lucky."_

"_Ugh! I hate eulogies. I always think they gloss it over. Everybody's a saint when they die."_

"_Hey, I have to give you one later."_

"_And what would you say about me?"_

"_I don't know. It's a little hard to give you a parting speech when you're in my head. I don't have one prepared. Hey! Here's an idea. Why don't you give your own eulogy?"_

"_Me?"_

"_Yeah, that way you won't have to gloss yourself over. Give everyone the real you."_

"_Very funny, Ron."_

The flames slowly died down and the sobs were growing softer. Everyone turned their attention to Dumbledore as he came up at front and began his speech. It was touching really, Harry had to admit. He talked about Harry's strength of character and how he grew up to be a mature young man who accepted his destiny. One by one the other guests came up and said their own speeches and little anecdotes about him. Harry felt his heart constrict. He never really realized how it would feel to know that others were mourning over him. It pained him to know that he was the cause of so much sadness. He appreciated his friends and was comforted to know that they meant something to him. When Hermione finally came up and said how much she loved him, he felt tears on his cheeks. He went to her and caught her in a hug when she was done.

"I love you, too and I never left," he whispered into her ear before Ron could stop him.

Hermione stared at him with confusion in her eyes, but he was led away so Ron could give him a speech.

"_Harry!"_

"_What?"_

"_What do I say?"_

"_Whatever you think." _Harry was a bit relieved from the distraction. But he was still a bit shaken up. Whatever Ron could make up was fine, but he wished it would be something merrier. He couldn't stand it if he had to make a speech about his death that could make others cry even more.

"_I can't. You're not really dead."_

"_Well, come up with something. It doesn't matter. Just don't patronize me."_

"Um... Harry's my best mate and I'll never find anyone like him."

"_You're doing okay."_

"_Shut up will you, I'm trying to give you a speech here!"_

"I was with him the night of the battle he defeated Voldemort."

There were gasps from the crowd but Ron ignored them. "I wondered how he had done it. He told me—"

"_I can't tell you, I'm dead, remember."_

"I mean, I knew...I knew he defeated Voldemort because he had one thing that Voldemort didn't have. It was love. Voldemort tried to kill me that night. Harry got in the way and he got the full blast of it. But that same magic destroyed Voldemort. He could never survive against a bond so strong."

Ron paused and Harry watched all his friends sob even harder. This wasn't going well at all. His heart went out to all of them who were grieving over him and he longed to comfort them somehow. He had an idea.

"_Ron, let me..."_

"_Be my guest, Harry. I reckon they're all broken up."_

"I know all of you are saddened by me—over Harry. But I'm sure that wherever he is, he's heard all that you've said and he wants to thank you for all the love and support you have given him. You gave him the most wonderful life he could ever wish for and he is forever grateful."

He stepped away and felt a flood of tears engulf him. Who would have thought that he would cry at his own eulogy?

"_Alright there, Harry?"_

"_Yeah. I'm fine. I'm glad I have you here. At least there's one person not grieving for me. I'm glad it's you."_

He let himself be engulfed by embraces from his family and friends. He hugged Hermione the longest and spent the rest of the night comforting everyone else.


	5. Weasley Woes

**

* * *

Chapter Five**

**Weasley Woes**

Ron found life after the war quite busy. It was easy not to think of all the deaths that surrounded him. Everyday though, he lived in constant worry that Harry might go away. But each day Harry remained inside him, and that got him through his grief over all the other deaths.

His father and George were still in hospital even after three weeks, so Molly spent most of her time there. Bill was out with the rest of the Order members chasing after the last of the Death Eaters if he wasn't at work helping reconstruct Gringotts Bank. Fred was at home but was confined to bed. That left him and Ginny to oversee things. But Ginny was too dejected to do much. Ron (with Harry) automatically came to check on everyone's needs. Harry taught him to cook the muggle way and they spent hours in the kitchen trying to use magic to make meals. They tried to cheer up Fred and Ginny endlessly with their failed cooking experiments, and after several days, his two siblings pronounced that he was getting better at it.

Hermione apparated to the Burrow every now and then to talk to Ron. She was still in a bad state and her relationship with her parents wasn't in any way improving. They were adamant in their decision to not let her return. Hermione, was an adult under wizarding laws and she could leave and do as she pleased. But it was her own guilt over her prior dishonesty to her parents that kept her from disobeying them and running away from home completely.

One evening after Ron and Harry were resting after completing their daily chores, Molly arrived looking more harrowed than Ron and Harry had seen her and they knew something was wrong.

"Mum! It's not Dad or George, is it?" Ron hurriedly asked.

"No," Molly murmured and she burst into tears. Ron and Harry made her sit down and prepared for the worst.

"You're father and George are fine, but their hospital bills are taking their toll on us. We don't have any money. I came from Gringotts today and I got the last sickles out of the vault. We haven't a knut left."

Ron had a sickening feeling inside his stomach. It was a mixture of helplessness and embarrassment. He hated Harry hearing this. He had always felt uncomfortable about his poverty and he didn't know what to say. Harry spoke for him.

"But isn't there anybody who could help? I'm sure somebody could extend something... you could pay them later." Ron knew Harry added that last one as an afterthought. He was well aware how proud his family was and would not take charity.

"I couldn't bear to ask anyone. Everybody's on hard times. Business is down for most people. Nobody's buying; they're all saving up for necessities. Your father couldn't even work if he could. The Ministry's still trying to rebuild itself. There's no money from Fred and George since their business burned down. We've been living on what Bill could give for the past few days but he can't give anymore. We may have to sell the house, if anyone would buy it. Dumbledore has offered us to stay at Grimmauld Place."

Ron was in shock. Sell the Burrow? But this house had been in his family for generations! It was his only home besides Hogwarts. He couldn't believe this was happening.

"Don't worry, mum," it was Harry who said it. "We'll think of something." Harry hugged her. Ron was fighting not to cry but he knew it was pointless. Harry could feel his emotions as well as he could feel Harry's sympathy. It was humiliating.

"Please don't tell Ginny and Fred yet. I don't want to worry them. I didn't want to tell you but I couldn't help it. I'm so sorry dear."

Ron nodded and pulled away from her to prepare supper before calling his siblings. Ron was extremely glad that Harry was with him. He maintained a cheerful conversation around the table, while Ron kept quiet. Harry didn't even speak to him and he knew his best friend understood he needed the silence.

When they were finished, he and Harry cleaned up and went to his room. Harry finally spoke to him.

"_Look Ron, you don't have to sell anything. I have just the thing."_

"_What is it?"_

"_Use my money, anything you need. We can get it out of my vault."_

"_Harry, no. You know I won't take charity, not even from you."_

"_It's not charity. Alright, look at it this way. I'm sharing your body. Whatever happens to you happens to me. Think of this as something I do for self-preservation."_

Ron felt sick. He hated being poor! But there was no way out of it and he convinced himself Harry made sense. But then he realized something else.

"_I can't take your money even if I wanted to. It belongs to you. The Gringotts goblins aren't going to give me access to your vault even if I had a key."_

"_You're right they won't, but they'll give you access if you were my heir."_

"_What?"_

"_My heir. I don't have one, Ron. Normally possessions go to next of kin when someone dies. But I don't have any relatives left except for the Dursleys, and I don't intend to give them anything. Think about it. If the Gringotts goblins found my Will naming you as my sole heir then you get access to everything I own."_

"_But you don't have a Will, Harry."_

"_Not yet. I could just write one and owl it to Gringotts. We'll make it appear that I wrote it before I died and had it post-owled."_

"_Alright, Harry. But if I get you another body or find a way to revive you, I'm returning every single knut."_

"_Deal. Now help me compose a Will."_

* * *

Harry put his quill down, then crunched up the parchment he was writing on and tossed it aside.

"_What's wrong with that one?" _Ron asked.

Harry uncrumpled the paper and read it. "I, Harry James Potter give everything I own to Ronald Bilius Weasley." _"It sounds stupid, Ron. It needs refining." _He re-crumpled it and tossed it on the table.

Harry and Ron had been trying to write Harry's will for over an hour now. Ron's desk was littered with so many pieces of discarded parchment that he was running out of desk space to write. Ron finally grabbed a handful of the drafts and tossed them to one corner of the room where his old books and last pieces of homework lay.

"_Well I've never written a Will before either. I don't know how to word it." _Ron said._ Hey, maybe we could ask Hermione."_

_No, Ron! We agreed on this. Nobody knows I'm here until we figure this thing out."_

"_But it's Hermione. She's our best friend. Besides, she could help."_

"_You saw how she was at my funeral. You've seen how she cries every time she comes here. She's getting over it now. I don't want to put her through that misery all over again if there's no way I can live."_

"_Alright, fine Harry. But let's just finish this."_

Harry took a fresh sheet and was about to start over again, when they heard a tiny screech from the window. A minute later, Pigwidgeon came bouncing in, landing with a thud on the mountain of parchment Ron tossed aside earlier.

They picked up the owl and took out the letter on the owl's leg. It was from Hermione.

_Dear Ron,_

_I've finally told my parents I'm leaving home. I just can't stay here anymore. I'll go mad if I do. I need to be with you. My parents are taking it hard, but I think they're finally beginning to understand. I don't want to seem too forward, but could you ask your parents if I could stay at your house for the moment? Just for a week or so until I find a place near the Burrow, maybe a flat in Ottery St. Catchpole._

_Love,_

_Hermione _

"_She's coming here. This is great, Harry. Go write her a reply. I'm sure mum wouldn't mind. She could bunk with Ginny. It would probably do Ginny good to have a girl to talk to."_

Harry used the fresh parchment he was holding, scribbled a note and gave it to Pig. When the owl flew off, they turned back to the desk.

"_Alright, Ron let's get this Will done. But we need a dictionary."_

* * *

Hermione caught Pig as he flew into her window. He was exhausted from the flight and lay on her hand, gasping for breath. Hermione placed him gently on the windowsill and got him a cup of water to sip. The owl drank swiftly and twittered his thanks.

She found the tiny scrap of parchment on his leg and opened to read the note. She took one look at the single line telling her she could stay at the Burrow as long as she liked and she almost dropped the note in surprise. The writing was Harry's.


	6. An Unexpected Fortune

**Chapter Six**

**An Unexpected Fortune**

Ron and Harry walked the old cobblestone steps of Diagon Alley. It was still as busy as ever, though it had changed so much since the last time they had stepped in it more than a year ago. The grand shops that lined the street were no longer there. Instead, there was a mass of rubble on every corner, while familiar merchants were busy cleaning up and repairing whatever they could with spells while attempting to sell what was left of their wares on makeshift shelves.

Fluorish and Blotts was still standing at least, though most of their windows were shattered and from outside, one could see shelves overturned and hundreds of books scattered on the floor, mostly burned or torn. The Magical Menagerie also had similar damages in its façade but it was covered by an opaque shield. There was blood splattered on the walls and one could only guess the carnage within when dozens of animals were killed in the fighting when the shop was attacked.

They passed Mr. Ollivander who waved sadly at them from the front of what used to be his wand shop. His familiar sign was still there indicating his name and the year the shop was established, but the entire façade had crumbled leaving boxes strewn in all directions. He summoned a half-burned box and cradled it as if it was a precious child. There were tears in his eyes and Ron and Harry quickly turned away. Their eyes however, found a more depressing sight.

"_Damn those Death Eaters!" _Ron said to Harry. _"They couldn't leave the shops alone, could they? What did Quidditch suppliers ever do to them?"_

They were looking at what used to be Quality Quidditch Supplies but now it was nothing more than a mass of stone and dust. There was a single sign that hovered on top of the ruins that said "MOVING TO ANOTHER LOCATION." This area of the wizarding shopping complex had the worst damage. The Daily Prophet had reported that when the Death Eaters came to attack and destroy, they used magical fires that could raze whole buildings to the ground in a matter of minutes and the damage couldn't be repaired with _Reparo_ spells.

They heard a sniffle from behind and they looked up to see Molly and Fred, trying his best to compose himself. They both knew the Weasleys Wizarding Wheezes stood next to Quality Quidditch Supplies though there was nothing there now but rubble.

"I didn't have the heart to put a sign at all," Fred muttered. "The shop stood for everything fun, but there's nothing funny about this. We can't even afford to rebuild at all."

Ron placed a hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry. It'll be alright. You may never know when you might find a stroke of good fortune. The shop will be back in no time."

"_Won't he be in for a surprise?" _he added silently to Harry.

"_Well he deserves it. All these people Ron, they've got so little left. I've got an idea, I don't know exactly how much I have left, but maybe we could spare something. A little donation to help rebuild Diagon Alley."_

"_Like a grant fund, Harry?"_

"_Yeah something like that, as long as you don't put my name in it. Let's make it an anonymous donation."_

"_Good idea."_

They gave Fred another squeeze on the shoulder, and Fred nodded his thanks for the comfort. His mother laid another hand at Fred's other shoulder and Ron could tell she was also trying hard not to cry. Since they had gotten the owl summoning himself, Fred and George to Gringotts yesterday, Molly Weasley was beside herself with worry. What could Gringotts possibly want with them? Ron had no personal account with Gringotts and the Weasley family vault was empty. Fred said his and George's accounts were already cleaned out as well. Could they have some unpaid dues of some sort? Would Gringotts repossess The Burrow if they couldn't pay?

Ron threw his mother what he felt was an encouraging look and led her and Fred onward down the street. Gringotts Bank was still standing up ahead, but the once towering white building looked different. The entire right wing of the building was destroyed by fire and some of its columns lay in shambles at the base. The other parts of the building that did manage to be saved from the flames were grayish from soot and scorch marks.

As they approached, they found two familiar heads—one red, one bushy-haired brown—waiting for them at the steps.

"Bill! Hermione! What are you doing here?" Fred exclaimed.

"I found out Gringotts summoned you today," said Bill. "So I decided to meet you. I met Hermione here on the steps just about to go in."

"Gringotts sent me an owl yesterday," Hermione explained. "It didn't say why, but it just told me to look for Griphook at one 'o clock."

"That's odd," Molly said. "Fred, George and Ron got the same message. So here we are. George is still in St. Mungo's of course, but I supposed it wouldn't hurt if I came along for him. Do you know anything about this, Bill?"

"No, that's why I waited for you."

"Well its five minutes to one," Ron said looking at his watch. "Let's go in and find out, shall we," he added cheerfully.

The others remained apprehensive but followed him in through the silver doors. Hermione fell in a step beside him.

"My parents let me go today, Ron and they agreed to take me to your house this weekend as long as I visit them as often as I can," she said. "At least it's a start. I think they're realizing the only way to help me is to let me go. I know it's a big sacrifice for them and I'm grateful."

"I'm glad for you, Hermione," said Ron and he squeezed her hand. Ron caught a faint blush on her cheeks and she turned away.

"That's good news at least," she said. "When I came here and I saw Diagon Alley... It's so awful, Ron. All these shops, so much destroyed and all because one wizard wanted power for himself. It's not fair. Not even his death was good enough. He had to take—"

"Hermione don't... let's not talk about it now, alright," Harry cut in before she could say more. Ron understood. Harry couldn't stand it when people cried for him, especially Hermione.

Inside, the bank didn't appear to change much. The goblins were still hard at work at their business, unperturbed even by the damage to their building. Griphook was easy enough to locate after they requested for him at the information counter. He swept in with an important air and led them to a private room not far away. The room was small, with a desk and a high chair fitted for a goblin. Around it were several plush looking chairs for them to sit on. The room was elegantly lit with a single chandelier on top and lamps at the sides. All in all, the room appeared grand and was the sort where important business could be discussed.

When they were all comfortably seated, Griphook magically closed the door behind them and took several rolls of parchment from one of the desk drawers.

"We have summoned you today to disclose the last will of the late Mr. Harry James Potter."

"What?" Fred exclaimed. He, Bill, Molly and Hermione stared at Griphook in surprise.

"We received his post-owl only yesterday and it concerns those present we have sent letters to," Griphook continued, ignoring Fred's outburst. He opened one of the pieces of parchment and showed them a document written in what was unmistakably Harry's script. "We, of course, at Gringotts are mandated to execute his last wishes in the matter of his properties which he has entrusted to us."

"Did you know about this?" Hermione asked Ron, who just shrugged.

"Ahem!" the Goblin interrupted, giving Hermione an annoyed look. "If we could proceed?"

"Yes, of course, I'm sorry," Hermione replied.

Griphook looked back at the parchment and cleared his throat. "The Will goes that in the event of Mr. Potter's death, Misters Frederick and George Weasley are to receive a thousand galleons to their store, the Weasley Wizarding Wheezes in Diagon Alley."

Fred gasped in surprise. "He... he left George and me..." Tears were falling on his face. Ron felt his heart lighten and he knew Harry was feeling an enormous surge of happiness.

Griphook paid him no heed. "To Ms. Hermione Jane Granger, Mr. Potter bequeaths a number of his books, including his special edition copy of _Hogwarts, a History_ and his collection of Gilderoy Lockhart's works."

"_You hated those books, Harry. You never read them after the teachers stopped requiring them."_

"_Why do you think I gave them to her? Somebody gave me the _Hogwarts, a History_ and I never even touched it, and you know Lockhart's books are all trash anyway. At least she'll appreciate them more than I did."_

"In addition to the books, Ms. Granger is also to receive two hundred galleons for her cause of freeing the house-elves."

"_You shouldn't have done that Harry. You know it's a hopeless cause."_

"_I know, but let's give her something to make her happy."_

Hermione was in tears and Ron reached out to pat her in shoulder.

"The rest of Mr. Potter's possessions, including all his personal belongings, go to Mr. Ronald Bilius Weasley."

Everyone uttered a gasp and looked at Ron. They knew Harry had a stack of gold in his vault. But before anyone could say anything, Griphook cleared his throat and they lapsed back to silence.

"Mr. Potter didn't indicate anything in particular regarding his bequeathing to Mr. Ronald Weasley. We presume of course that he meant everything else not given to others. We have therefore assessed all his properties and monetary holdings and these are following: A castle in Cornwall..."

"_You have a castle in Cornwall?"_

"_Sirius's, probably. He left everything to me, except for Grimmauld Place. He gave that to the Order, under Dumbledore's care. He also gave Tonks something since her mother was cut off from the Black Will, and quite a considerable sum to Professor Lupin so he could at least live comfortably. He deserved it."_

"...Black Manor in Lyon, a 360-acre farmland in Montpellier, France..."

"_Okay, Harry. Exactly how many properties did Sirius leave you?"_

"_I'm not sure. I wasn't listening when Sirius' Will was read. I was too depressed at the time. I remember he had a couple."_

"_A couple? Try several!" _Ron almost screamed as Griphook droned on mentioning houses and manors not only in Britain and France but also in Germany and Switzerland.

"...And finally a piece of property on what used to be Potter Manor in Godric's Hollow."

"_No surprise about that last one. It was my parents'. Reckon the property is still mine, though the house was destroyed. We have to go there sometime."_

The other Weasleys and Hermione were staring at Ron with bewilderment. Ron was sure he was looking at Griphook with the same surprised expression.

"And of course there's the subject of Mr. Potter's liquid assets..."

"_Hang on! There's more?"_

"_My vault, remember? But it's nothing. Just a few thousand galleons I think. It's dwindling, but we can always sell one of Sirius' properties if we need more money. If Grimmauld Place is any indication of the kind of houses the Blacks have, I'd rather sell it. I'm not living in one."_

"The Potter Vault, aside from those amounts given to Messrs. George and Frederick Weasley and to Ms. Granger, has 19,253 galleons, 347 sickles and 715 knuts, while the Black Family Vault yields a total of..." The goblin paused to check another parchment. "Two hundred sixty eight million galleons, 3,450 sickles and 18,962 knuts."

Both Ron and Harry were so surprised they fell off their chair. "WHAT!"

The goblin repeated the sum.

"_Harry, what in the world...? You didn't tell me Sirius' fortune was—a FORTUNE!"_

"_I didn't realize. But come to think of it, his family is one of the richest in the country and he is the sole heir. No wonder he could afford to buy me a Firebolt in third year. It was just spare change for him compared to what he owned."_

Ron's mouth was now hanging open. Harry closed it for him. Griphook finally took notice of the shocked expressions on the faces of his companions and decided to make an explanation.

"Mr. Potter was one of the wealthiest wizards in Britain after he inherited the Black Family Fortune from his godfather Sirius Black three years ago."

"But... but... Two hundred million galleons..." Bill gasped. "Not even the Malfoys—"

"The Malfoy Fortune is nothing compared to the Blacks," he continued in the same bored businesslike tone. "In fact, the Malfoys gained a considerably larger fortune only after Mr. Lucius Malfoy married into the Black family through the Lady Narcissa. Now if you would be so kind as to sign these documents so we could complete the transfers to your names..."

Ron was still in too much shock so Harry moved to the table where the goblin held out the parchment. Hermione followed behind them, as well as Fred so they could sign after him. Harry signed his own name before he realized it.

"_Ron, you have to sign your name. I can't do it for you."_

"_Oh, yeah, right mate." _Ron crossed out Harry's name and wrote his own.

Ron moved away and stared ahead into space. He was too bewildered by these turn of events. He had gone from being penniless to becoming one of the richest men in the British wizarding world in just a few minutes. He was too absorbed in all of it on the way out of the bank that he didn't notice the suspicious look Hermione gave him.


	7. Confrontation

**Chapter Seven**

**Confrontation**

Hermione was worried.

She had been staying in the Burrow for more than a fortnight but a turmoil of emotions had been sweeping through her since she arrived and it all centered on her redheaded best friend. Ron had been a great comfort to her, it was true. He seemed to have taken over of running the Burrow and making sure everyone was cared for. The Weasley family was still in a depressed state, but surprisingly, Ron managed to be in good spirits. It had surprised her that of all people close to Harry, Ron seemed to have recovered immediately over their best friend's death. After Harry's funeral rites, Ron never shed another tear, not even when they placed the death marker for Harry in a clearing behind the Burrow. He never visited the site, though he regularly visited the markers for Sirius, Hagrid, Percy, Charlie and all their old fallen comrades, even Cedric Diggory. It was as if he never grieved for Harry at all.

Hermione also noticed a change in Ron. It was subtle but it was there. There were times when she could almost feel Harry's presence coming from Ron. There were the little habits: the way he ate, he talked, even smiled that felt so much like Harry that she could swear it was really him. At first she had chalked it up as her own imagination. She reasoned she wanted Harry to be there so much that she believed that Ron acted like Harry. But lately she couldn't deny there was something very different about Ron. There was the time when Ron invited his siblings to play Quidditch outside. Hermione was watching from the ground and gasped with everyone else when he executed a perfect Wronski Feint. One late night, while playing chess, Hermione managed to beat him—an unprecedented event. She expected Ron to be annoyed but he didn't seem bothered about it at all and just went up to bed. Looking back at the chess pieces and reviewing the game, Hermione realized Ron's moves had mirrored Harry's strategies during the times when she played him before. And of course there was the note he sent her in Harry's handwriting. She proved it was really Ron's hand when she watched him sign Harry's name at Gringotts. But what really disturbed her was the number of times she caught Ron talking, even laughing, to himself when he thought he was alone.

Hermione had tried to ask Ron numerous times to talk about Harry, but Ron always changed the subject or turned to talking about her own feelings. He never explained anything of what happened to him on the night of Harry's death aside from what he said during Harry's funeral.

The wizarding world had simply accepted Ron's statement: that Harry defeated Voldemort by sacrificing himself to save Ron. Harry was declared a hero and a martyr, while Ron was given a new title—The-Boy-Who-Survived. At least it was what the Daily Prophet called him when it resumed publication, and the name caught on. Ron didn't seem bothered about it. In fact, he didn't seem bothered at all about anything concerning Harry after the funeral. But to Hermione, what he didn't say spoke volumes of what Ron was really feeling.

One afternoon after Hermione had caught Ron yet again in one of his odd laughing-alone moments just before lunch, she decided to confront him and force him to open up. She asked to meet him in his room after the meal. Ron agreed and told her he would clean up with the dishes first and follow her upstairs.

Hermione entered Ron's room and surveyed the mess. There were pieces of parchment everywhere and his bed was unmade. Socks and other articles of clothing were strewn about. Using her wand, she uttered a quick spell to make his bed and fold the clothing neatly. She turned to his desk and muttered another spell to straighten it out. There was so much parchment here that he had hardly written on. _Oh honestly, doesn't Ron ever recycle?_

She used another spell to uncrumple the littered pieces of parchment to see if she could salvage anything for scratch paper. She looked up to see the now crisp paper and was startled at the ink-stained sheets. There, in what was obviously Harry's script were several drafts of the same starting paragraph.

_I, Harry James Potter, give all my possessions to Ronald Bilius Weasley in the event of my death..._

Hermione's heart shuddered. It was clearly the start of Harry's will, but what was it doing here? She presumed Harry had written his will in Hogwarts, just days before his death. Fred and George's jokeshop had only burned down a week before the final battle, so Harry couldn't have written his will until after that incident.

She picked up another parchment in a different handwriting. It was her own letter, the one she sent Ron asking him for permission to let her stay at the Burrow. It was buried between the sheets of numerous drafts of Harry's will. It was ink-stained and had markings on it as if somebody had written on another parchment while it was underneath and the ink stained through. A horrible idea was running through her mind but she had to know. She muttered a spell on the ink stains on her letter and watched in horror as it flowed backwards through the upper parchment which was one of the discarded drafts.

_It couldn't be! Why would Ron do such a thing?_

At that moment, Ron walked into the room and greeted her. She didn't respond.

"Is everything alright, Hermione?" he asked.

Hermione slowly turned to him and forced herself to meet his gaze. Her heart was pounding but she managed to speak out. "Why did you forge Harry's will?"

Ron stared at her, clearly startled. "What?"

"You heard me. Why did you forge Harry's will? You wrote it, the same way you wrote that letter you sent to me using Harry's handwriting. I know you can write in Harry's script. I saw you sign his name at Gringotts."

"What are you talking about, Hermione. I never... I would never do anything like that."

"Is it the money then? Ron, I know your family was destitute, but I could have helped. My parents could have lent you, but you didn't have to..."

Ron approached her looking confused, but she could sense he was fighting inside trying to hold something back. "You think I wanted his money? Hermione, I never... I didn't even know what he owned. I never wrote his will."

"Don't lie to me Ron."

"I'm not lying. He wrote it himself. He's—"

Ron stopped all of a sudden and Hermione watched his facial expression change drastically as if he was debating with himself.

"No, we can't tell her, Ron!"

"—and, I say we do, Harry!"

Hermione was startled when Ron suddenly spoke of himself in the third person and to Harry. Hermione's eyes widened as she stared at Ron looking at her in horror as if she just discovered his most terrible secret. Her heart went out to him.

"Ron..." she began slowly. "Oh, Ron." She hugged him tightly. "It's alright. I had no idea... I'm here. I'll help you go through this and there are... people who can help you."

Ron pushed her away and slapped himself on the forehead. "Great, now you think I'm a nutter."

"No! I mean Ron, I don't think you're... but I know it's been hard on you, after Harry—"

But Ron was backing away out the door. "Could you excuse us—I mean me, for minute." He went running out the door, leaving her very confused.

* * *

Ron raced out of the house until he reached the edge of the pond in the backyard. He sat down under a shade.

"_We have to tell her, Harry. She suspects already."_

"_Ron, I can't give her that false hope. I told you its better this way."_

"_She's been mourning for nothing. All this time she's thought you were dead."_

"_And better that she did. At least now she's moved on. She won't grieve for me anymore when I really am dead."_

"_Look, it's been almost two months, Harry. You're still here, you're still alive. I don't think you'll die at all, unless I die with you."_

"_Do you really want to spend the rest of your life sharing your body with me?"_

"_If it means you won't die then yes. I don't care if I have to share this with you, Harry. I just want you here and I'm sure Hermione does too. She's our best friend and she deserves to know. She's suffered enough."_

"Ron?" They were both startled at her voice. She was running toward them, her hair was whipping around her head and her face was full of concern.

"_She's here now, Harry. Whether you like it or not, I'll tell her."_

"Ron, can I talk to you please?"

"_Are you with me or not?"_

She was in front of him now. "Ron, please talk to me."

"_Alright Ron, I'm with you."_

Harry sighed but looked up at Hermione. He motioned for her to sit next to him on the grassy bank.

"I need to tell you something. But you have to promise, you're not going to freak out. I don't know how to explain it. I don't understand it myself."

"Just tell me what it is, Ron. I'll understand I promise." She took his hands in hers and gave them a squeeze.

Ron breathed a deep sigh. "You remember what I said during his funeral rites about when Voldemort tried to kill me and Harry got in the way."

Hermione nodded and looked at him intently.

"When he got in the way of the killing curse, I also tried to shield him. I suppose our love for each other was what saved us that night. It was like what Harry's mum did when he was a baby. The force of Harry's mum's love—that she was willing to sacrifice even her life to save him—caused Voldemort's destruction. This time, it was the combined force of Harry's love and mine for each other that dealt Voldemort the final blow."

"Yes, I think I understand Ron. I talked to Dumbledore about that and he told me about it. It's just that the power that killed Voldemort wasn't enough to save Harry."

Ron shook his head. "But it did, Hermione. It did. It saved us both. I don't know if you'll believe me, but Harry's alive."

Hermione dropped his hands. "Ron, we were both at Harry's funeral. And I found him. I was the first person who found you and Harry. He was dead when I got there."

"Harry's body is dead but his soul is alive, Hermione."

"His soul...but where?" she looked around her expecting to see a ghost. Ron cupped her face with his hand so she was facing him again.

"He's here. He's inside me. He's sharing my body."

Hermione stared at him with wide eyes. "What are you... what do you mean?"

"Hermione, Harry's in me. You could talk to him if you want to."

"Talk to... Ron, this is crazy..." She turned away from him and got up but Harry pulled at her arm to stop her.

"Hermione, it's me. It's Harry. You have to believe me and Ron."

But Hermione shrugged his arm off abruptly and backed away.

"Ron, don't do this please. You—you need help. We can get you help..."

"I'm not crazy, Hermione. Harry just spoke to you. I know it sounds weird but it's true and you have to believe us."

"But that's impossible. Two souls in one body. There's no such thing."

"No such thing written about it yet, Hermione," Ron corrected. "Or if there has been, you probably haven't read about it. Honestly Hermione, you think you know everything—Ron, cut it out! I'm trying to make her understand and you're not helping."

Hermione stared at him in disbelief.

"Look Hermione, I'll prove I'm Harry." He took out his wand and held it out for Hermione to see. "Can Ron do this? Expecto Patronum!"

A silver stag appeared. He made it gallop in circles around her before it disappeared.

"Ron, please stop it. You're scaring me." Hermione was crying now.

"D-don't cry. It's really me." Harry reached out to touch her but she backed away.

"Ron, I'm sorry, I can't handle this, just-just leave me alone." She ran off and went straight back into the house.

"_So much for trying to make her believe."_

"_Come on Harry, we have to go after her and make her understand or she'll think I'm cracking up."_

They ran after her and found her in the living room sobbing. Mrs. Weasley and Ginny were beside her, asking her what was wrong.

"Hermione, can we talk?" Harry asked.

"No!" Hermione sobbed.

"Please, you have to understand... We—" he stopped and realized Ginny and Mrs. Weasley were there and he wasn't willing to share this secret with them yet. "I need you... please."

Hermione looked at him with uncertainty before she finally nodded. "Let's—let's go outside." He let her go ahead but Mrs. Weasley pulled him aside.

"What's wrong dear?" she whispered.

"Just a misunderstanding... Mum," Harry replied. He turned to go when the Weasley family clock had just chimed and he glanced at it. Both he and Ron hit on it at the same time. Harry had his own hand on the Weasley family clock beginning at the start of his seventh year when he moved in permanently at the Burrow. But unlike Percy's and Charlie's hands which stayed on '_In Mortal Peril'_ when they died, Harry's hand pointed to '_Home._'

"_You think she'll believe us if..."_

"_I'm almost sure of it, Ron."_

Hermione was on her way out when Harry stopped her and whispered to her ear. "Look at the clock, Hermione."

Hermione glanced at him doubtfully but did as she was told. Her eyes bulged when she saw it and tears started pouring down her cheeks as she looked back at him.

"Har—"

Harry clamped a hand to her mouth. "Outside," he whispered and half carried her back to the edge of the pond. By the time they got there, Hermione was already overwhelmed with tears that she had to blow her nose before she could talk.

"Is it really you, Harry?" she asked.

"Yeah, it's me. If you still don't believe me, I can speak in Parseltongue to prove it."

"But this is so... so... oh Harry!" She threw her arms around him and hugged him tight. She had a good cry on his shoulder that by the time she pulled herself away, his robes were so damp that he had to use a drying charm.

"But what about Ron?"

"I'm here too. Do you want a demonstration to prove I'm Ron?" he teased.

Hermione smiled. "No need. You're acting like a prat so I know it's you." Harry laughed and Hermione could tell it was him. When he had calmed down, they filled Hermione in on what they knew.

"So all this time, you've been in Ron?" Hermione asked when they finished their tale.

"Yeah. It feels kind of odd, but we're getting used to it."

"How exactly do you do this? I mean, one body, two minds...?"

"Well we seem to have equal control of Ron's body," Harry explained. "I mean I can move with as much control as Ron has and we feel the same sensations—"

"Except when one of us is unconscious," Ron continued. "The one who's awake has complete control and memory. But that's rare—"

"Like the time I woke up next to you at St. Mungo's. Remember I was insisting I was Harry and you kept calling me Ron."

"Yes, I remember vaguely. I thought you were losing it, or I was losing it."

"But even though we're both awake we can think separately," Ron said. "You know, we have our own private thoughts to ourselves, though we can talk to each other without speaking outright."

Hermione was looking at them with disbelief. "This is amazing... But what about emotions? Do you share them too?"

"I think to a certain point we could feel what the other is feeling though we still make decisions separately. It gets a bit hard when we disagree. We try not to."

"It gets difficult if we do—"

"Like going to different places—"

"At the same time. It gets well—

"It's complicated," they said together.

Hermione shook her head. "I think I'm confused now, you keep interrupting each other and I'm losing track of who's saying what. Could you, identify yourself at least?"

Ron and Harry agreed to grin at her. "Alright Hermione, this is Ron, but you ought to get used to it. It's too hard to say our names every time we say something."

"Yeah, Harry here. It's hard enough not to interrupt each other sometimes."

Hermione laughed then turned serious. "So what happens now? Is there any way we could separate you two?"

"I'm Harry. None that we know of, at least not yet."

"I'm Ron. We tried going through the Hogwarts library but we haven't found anything, except that we couldn't revive Harry's body. We had to let go of that one; we did try to make a fool of ourselves trying to stop his funeral."

"Have you tried asking Dumbledore then?" Hermione asked. "He might know something about this and maybe he could help."

Ron and Harry gave her a surprised expression that it was obvious they hadn't thought about it.

"It's Harry. We haven't exactly told anyone yet about it. Well except for you just now. I didn't want people to get their hopes up that I'm alive. We're not exactly sure if I'm going to be sticking around at all. I mean, who knows? Maybe my soul's just residing on Ron temporarily."

Hermione took their hand. "Don't worry, Harry. We'll find a way to keep you alive." Hermione summoned a piece of parchment and her self-refilling quill from Ginny's room. When the items came to her, she started scribbling.

"First stop, we talk to Dumbledore, if he knows something..." she wrote down Dumbledore's name.

Ron and Harry rolled their eyes heavenward.

"_Organizational freak," _Ron muttered.

"_Not even my death's an exception,"_ Harry agreed.

"... then we check the library again under the following topics: life after death, the spirit world, ancient protection spells, ghosts and other elementals, necromancy..."

"What's necromancy?" Ron asked.

"The ancient art of communicating with the dead," Hermione replied without missing a beat. "Oh and we might want to look at literature on the Egyptian Book of the Dead, voodoo..."

"_At this rate, we'll have to read half the books in the library. By the time we even find something, you'll be dying of old age, Ron and we'll both need a new body."_

"_I know Harry, but let's let her do this. At least she's helping now. We might get something done."_

Hermione finally finished her list. "I think that's about everything I can think of. Let's go to Dumbledore first. We could send him an owl and ask to meet with him." She stood up.

Ron and Harry stood up with her and grasped her arm. "One more thing Hermione—Harry here—before we go back, you have to promise us you won't tell anybody. We'll tell Dumbledore, but just him. I don't want anybody to know yet, until we're sure what happened to me."

Hermione nodded. "Alright Harry, if that's what you want. But eventually we do have to tell them. At least Ron's family, Professor Lupin, and some of our closest friends. I think they would be happy to know you're still alive—I mean not exactly in the technical sense, but living... I mean...what do I call you anyway?"

"Just hanging around?" Ron offered.

Hermione smiled. "Guess that's the best way to put it. Come on." She linked arms with them and they walked back together to the house.


	8. Return to the Battle

**A/N: Thank you so much for all those who reviewed, particularly nattieb, who never fails. I'm glad you like the story so far. This is going to be really long. I haven't really finished it yet and I'm working on the details on how to get Harry a body, although there is a way to resurrect him, but so far no one has been able to guess yet. You'll find out in the chapter after this.**

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**Chapter Eight**

**Return to the Battle**

Dumbledore scratched at his bearded chin and his eyes twinkled. "Astonishing! This is quite unusual of course, but not altogether surprising."

Ron, Harry and Hermione were sitting around their old headmaster's office on comfortable chairs with half their tea cups drained. They had just finished telling Dumbledore all they knew about what happened to Harry and Ron.

"You mean it has happened before Professor?" Ron hopefully asked. "Do you know a way to get Harry back?"

"I wish I could say I could, Ronald," Dumbledore said. "But unfortunately I have never encountered such an incident before, though I suspect perhaps it is an ancient magic tied to the powerful bond you and Harry have that was also the means to destroy Voldemort. There are still many happenings in the magical world that are yet to be explained and I confess to my own limitation in this case."

Ron sighed with disappointment. If Dumbledore, the greatest living wizard didn't know how to solve their problem, how were they going to?

"But do not give up yet," Dumbledore assured. "We may find a way. You cannot discover wisdom Ronald, without seeking it. And in this case we could start by reviewing the situation when it first occurred." Dumbledore stood up and walked to a closed cabinet. Ron watched him take out a shallow basin with ancient runes carved on it. It was emitting a bright light.

"The pensieve." Harry said.

"Precisely Harry." The Headmaster quickly explained what it was to Hermione and Ron. "Now, in order to assess the incident I must ask you and Harry to put in your memories of that night on the pensieve. Then we shall all go in and see for ourselves what exactly happened."

Harry nodded and decided to go first. As per Dumbledore's instructions he recalled everything that happened, tapped his wand to the side of his head and placed them on the pensieve. When he was done, Ron copied Harry's movements and placed his own memories. It took them several minutes to complete the task. It was rather difficult to try to remember everything but he tried to put in as many details he could.

When they finished, Dumbledore invited all of them to come closer to the pensieve. Ron looked at the somewhat-gassy, somewhat-liquid stuff on the basin and saw the Riddle House just as he had seen it before they attacked.

"Alright, everybody lean in," Dumbledore said. "And off we go..."

Ron placed his face closer and he felt himself sucked in with Hermione and Dumbledore. Cold darkness surrounded him before he landed on his feet. He looked around and found Hermione and Dumbledore next to him.

"I think perhaps we are still familiar with this," Dumbledore said. "We are just about to enter the house."

Ron caught several moving silvery glints in the air. One of them would be himself in a disillusionment charm closely following Harry and Hermione. He followed the glints toward the house. He saw the signal Lupin gave out of nowhere, followed by two guards being taken out by Tonks. Everything was so quiet until the first patronus charm was cast and suddenly the night erupted in chaos. Dementors appeared from the forest, followed by trolls who were throwing large rocks in all directions. At the same time, Death Eaters came charging out of the house bearing curses. Members of the Order and the D.A. began to appear as they either got hit or disillusioned themselves. Ron recognized Zacharias Smith as one of the first to appear out of thin air and he lay on the ground, unmoving. Dennis Creevey followed in much the same fashion. Collin's voice could be heard screaming in anguish and Ron's heart went out to him. It wasn't like the cheerful Collin to be crying like that. His sobs however, were quickly replaced with shouts of a levitation spell. A rock was flying out of nowhere and hit a Death Eater on the head. He fell to the ground a few feet away from where Ron was standing. His eyes were wide and blood was pouring liberally from his head. Ron turned away. He didn't remember seeing that during the battle but he figured he was getting more detail since he was also witnessing Harry's memories as well as his own.

He looked to the sound of crashing glass and metal. He followed the silvery glints that entered the house and heard his own voice shouting stunning spells at the charging Death Eaters coming down the stairs. Lupin, Kingsley Shacklebolt and Tonks were already inside sending off hexes he had never even heard of. Sparks and shards of glass and furniture were flying everywhere. Ron ducked at a jet of light that came his way before he realized it was just going to go through him since this was just a memory.

He saw himself appear with Harry and Hermione. A streak of red light came hurtling toward the three of them but Hermione was quicker and had a protection spell ready. The spell deflected, but three Death Eaters came charging them from all sides: Avery, Wormtail, and Dolohov. With their backs to each other, he, Harry and Hermione faced up to the older wizards. Harry took on Avery; Hermione, Dolohov; and himself on his former pet rat.

Ron could remember the rage he had at that time but he was still amazed at what he did. Wormtail advanced on him with an impedimenta charm that he blocked easily. His answer was a full body bind followed by a levitation spell. Wormtail blocked his first spell but was caught off guard when he began to float.

"Tarantallegra!" his memory-self shouted and Ron was satisfied again to see the traitor dance uncontrollably in the air before he was sent crashing into another Death Eater currently suffering from a Bat-Bogey hex.

"Ginny!" the memory-Ron shouted at his beaming sister. She and Dean had just come through the door but they didn't have time to speak.

"Ron, duck!" Harry shouted. The memory-Ron obeyed and Harry shot a spell just above his head and hit Nott who was about to charge. While Ron was still crouched near the floor, he threw a stunning spell that missed Harry by inches but hit right on its mark: Avery, who had been waylaid earlier by Harry with an impedimenta hex.

As Avery fell, Dolohov came into view. His robes were on fire but he was laughing like mad.

Ron looked at the Hermione beside him. "What did you do to him?"

"Bluebell flame and tickling charm, one after the other," she said proudly. "Serves him right for what he did to me in fifth year. My ribs took ages to heal."

Dolohov continued to laugh until he started screaming with the burns. He ran out of the room, crashing into things and setting fire on some of the furniture. The room was already catching fire in some areas, owing to Mundungus Fletcher who seemed to have a penchant for Incendio charms.

The memory-Ron, Harry and Hermione quickly moved out of the way of the burning parlor and moved forward into the house. Ron was momentarily stopped by a full-body bind but Hermione was quick to get rid of the spell and hit back at his assailant. It did, however, leave a few cuts up his arms and elbows when he fell on some broken glass. Ron couldn't even remember having those cuts now; he figured it was that insignificant in the bigger battle.

"I've got to find him," Harry said to them. "He's near. I think he may be out back." Harry led the front while Ron covered the rear, shouting spells. Together, they made quite a formidable team, barging through whatever Death Eaters came their way.

"_Harry, I never realized how bloody good we are at this!"_

"_Yeah, all those D.A. practices were really a big help. We wouldn't have gotten past those Death Eaters if we weren't trained so well."_

They moved onward to a large hallway, passing several bodies, most of them Death Eaters.

Ron felt the Harry inside him turn away when they passed a fallen woman. An emerald shawl covered her hair but it was hard to distinguish the color due to the blood that had seeped through her head. Ron's stomach churned.

"_You knew her, Harry?"_

"_Remember Emmeline Vance? I only met her once, never really talked to her but she was part of the Order."_

The closed door to their right suddenly blew apart and Justin, Ernie, Hannah, Luna and the Patil sisters came out coughing from the dust.

"We found a way through a side window," Justin explained when he could breathe. "We couldn't get through the front door. Too crowded."

A shadow came up behind them. It was George.

"Good, you're here. We could use the cover," Ron said to his brother. But George didn't respond and his eyes gave no sign of recognition.

"Get back! He's under Imperious!" Hermione shouted.

Everybody moved away as far as possible before George blasted the ceiling and the roof gave way.

"_PROTEGO!" _several voices shouted in unison and one lone voice shouted, _"STUPEFY!"_

Apparently the protection spell could hold even against falling debris. Pieces of wood and metal bounced safely off them. When the air cleared, a Death Eater was lying buried under a beam. George was limp against the wall, stunned, while Fred was standing in front of him looking horrified that he had stunned his own twin. Next to Fred were Lee, Katie, and Angelina. More shouts were coming closer from behind them.

"We'll split up," Angelina said. "Three of you come with us and hold off the coming attackers, the rest of you move on."

Hannah, Ernie and Justin remained while the rest took off running down the hallway. They stopped where the hallway ended at a wall and split into two opposite directions.

Harry had a hand on his scar. "We have to go right."

Somebody screamed from the left corridor. "That's Lavender!" Parvati said in alarm. "We have to help her." She was off running before anybody could stop her.

"Parvati wait!" Padma shouted as she followed her sister.

"We don't have time!" Harry said urgently. "I have to get to him."

Ron took control. "Follow them; we have to go with Harry!"

Ron saw their fellow D.A. members nod before his eyes moved back to his memory self, Harry and Hermione as they sprinted to the right. Ron barely registered the crashing sound followed by Padma's scream of "Parvati, no!" at that time, but he heard it fully now and he knew with a sickening feeling what had happened. There were plenty of gruesome stories of that night that they only heard secondhand. Apparently, Parvati was caught by a killing curse when she tried to save the stunned Lavender. Padma had seen her sister fall and used the Avada Kedavra curse to avenge her twin. Ron couldn't imagine how the girl he had taken to the Yule Ball could have said those words and meant them enough for her to kill.

Ron felt Harry's heart wrench with guilt.

"_There was nothing we could do, Harry. We couldn't save everyone."_

Ron felt Hermione's hand in his, reassuring Harry though she had tears in her eyes.

The memory-Harry suddenly tripped on something, or rather somebody. It was a Death Eater but he was walking about in an uncoordinated way and his eyes were blank. A moment later, a robed figure of a Dementor came gliding from an open room at their left side. The Death Eater had obviously given him the kiss.

There was a scream coming from the large room at the end of the hallway and everyone recognized it as Mrs. Weasley. The memory-Ron rushed forward, shouting to Hermione and Harry to deal with the Dementor.

"Come on and follow me!" the real-Ron said to Hermione and Dumbledore. He remembered exactly what happened next and he wanted Harry and Hermione to see it.

They came to a large dining room. Inside were his father and Lucius Malfoy. His mother lay on one side, apparently His hit by a hex but she was groaning and was coming to.

Malfoy shouted a spell and Arthur fell to the floor. The memory-Ron entered, shouting at Malfoy, but before he could utter a spell, his mother had lifted herself up and like a warrior woman, bashed Malfoy on the head with a piece of wood from a broken chair. Malfoy fell to his knees and the memory-Ron bound him with a spell.

"That must be one hard knock on the head your mother gave, Ron." Hermione said, completely impressed.

"I suppose her arm is still good even after all these years," Ron replied.

"What do you mean?" Harry asked.

"Well she was a Beater in her Hogwarts days," Ron explained.

"Really?"

"Yeah, where do you think we got all our Quidditch skills from? My dad's hopeless on a broom, but Mum was one of the best."

"Indeed she is," Dumbledore agreed. It was the first time he spoke and he was smiling rather proudly. "Molly was a wonderful player. I remember she was a legend on the Quidditch pitch when she was in school. She could have gotten a professional career. Six league teams were inviting her to play after she graduated."

"Six teams!" Ron exclaimed. "She never told us that. My mum?"

"Yes, Ronald. But of course she loved Arthur more and she never regretted being a mother and having all of you. Molly has the biggest heart I've ever known."

Ron watched himself give a vicious kick at the unconscious and bound Malfoy and he wished that he could have done more damage to the Death Eater at that time. But Harry and Hermione had tumbled into the room, silver mists of their patronus charms disappearing behind them.

"Death Eaters are on the move," Hermione reported, but nobody was paying attention to her. Ron and Mrs. Weasley were moving the unconscious Arthur to the side to assess the damages. Harry on the other hand, was clutching at his forehead. He then sprinted resolutely to the next room into the large kitchen.

Ron followed the memory-Harry where he found Neville facing Bellatrix Lestrange.

"Ready to join your parents in the loony bin?" she taunted.

Neville didn't say anything, but his eyes were filled with a murderous rage Ron had never seen before. Ron didn't even hear what spell Neville cast but it was so fast and powerful that it threw Bellatrix violently to one side of the kitchen. She lay there unmoving.

Ron's eyes widened. _"He killed her? I mean I knew I saw her dead in the kitchen, but I didn't think it was Neville who did it. Merlin, I'll never underestimate Neville again. That boy can be deadly if he wants to."_

"_He's not the only one," _Harry replied sadly. _"Who knew Collin Creevey could bludgeon a Death Eater to death or that Padma was capable of the killing curse? Who knows who else we managed to injure that night? I suppose a lot of us had turned killers at that point. But I had all the blood on my hands, every single one of them, though I didn't deliver the curses. It's my fault because I wasn't able to stop him sooner."_

"_Stop it, Harry! Stop blaming yourself. It was a battle, people die. We are forced to kill or be killed. None of that was your fault. You murdered no one, not even Voldemort."_

Ron felt Harry brighten a little with the reassurance, though he knew it would take more than that for Harry to get over his guilt. Ron had never known a person to have so many issues about this before and he shuddered as he realized that having Harry with him meant that he had to deal with his issues, too.

Ron focused back on the scene unfolding. He saw himself come hurtling into the kitchen followed by half a dozen hexes which he managed to avoid with his protection spell. He stood up and was amazed with himself that he didn't even seem shaken but returned the hexes at the Death Eaters at the door with lightning speed.

The memory-Harry headed for the backdoor and Ron beckoned to Hermione and Dumbledore to follow him outside. Ron listened to his familiar conversation with Harry about remaining with Harry until the end. Hermione sniffled beside him.

"That was really loyal of you," she said to him.

Ron watched on and felt a shudder when Voldemort appeared. Even in this state he still appeared every inch the horrible wizard that he was. Hermione clutched at Ron's hand when she saw Voldemort's red snakelike eyes. She had never seen the Dark Lord before.

When Voldemort started torturing him, Hermione had taken not only his hand but his entire arm. Her fingers were holding on to him so tightly as if he was a lifeline. He could feel his heart racing, he knew what was coming next, but he had never seen it so vividly before in his memories. He watched as the Harry in his memory changed, beginning with his eyes that turned from emerald green to red while his expression altered to one that Voldemort wore. He felt the Harry inside him quiver with horror and revulsion.

"My God, I looked like him!" Harry said.

Hermione was crying softly. "Oh Harry, what did he do to you?"

"He possessed me. My scar hurt so badly and I felt him inside me. It was like something that was pure evil had taken over me and I wanted to kill Ron so I could hurt myself. And I almost did kill him, but—"

The memory-Ron begged at the Harry threatening him and they could all see his eyes start to turn back to their original color despite his pained expression. Behind Harry, Voldemort was struggling with something inside him and he was obviously in great pain.the the

But it was only for a moment, enough time for Harry to drop his wand and Ron to pick it up and point it at Harry. The red was back in his eyes and Harry taunted Ron to kill him.

"AVADA KEDAVRA!" The spell came from Voldemort. Everything then happened so quickly. Harry's eyes immediately went back to green and he ran to shield Ron. At the last moment, Ron shouted "PROTEGO!" The shield covered Harry but the killing curse went right through it as protection spells were no match for Unforgivables. It hit Harry directly, but a sliver of the light caught Ron on the side of his face. An explosion of white light flooded everything; at the same time a blood-curdling scream erupted in the night. When the light cleared, there was a sizzling sound and they could see Voldemort's body deform and burn until it crumbled, leaving nothing but smoke and ashes. Ron screamed and clutched the side of his face as the new mark grew on place, while Harry's still form was being erased of his scar.

Then there was silence and everything went black. Ron knew their memories had ended and there was nothing more to see.

"It's time to go now," Dumbledore whispered in the darkness. Ron felt the headmaster's hand and they went back up into the cold until he found himself once more in Dumbledore's familiar office.


	9. Soul Transfer

**A/N: Here's the answer on how to get Harry back. Enjoy**

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**Chapter Nine**

**Soul Transfer**

Nobody could speak for a long time. The horrors of that night were just so mind-numbing that Ron couldn't come up with anything to describe it. Hermione was sobbing beside him and when he turned a little, she hugged him.

"You were wonderful," she cried. Ron felt comforted and he and Harry hugged her back.

"We would have done the same for you," Harry said.

When Hermione finally released them, Dumbledore conjured up a handkerchief and handed it to her. She blew her nose and sat back down on her chair.

Dumbledore clapped his hands at them. "I'm very impressed and proud of the way you went through the battle. I confess I was quite useless in it. I went after Voldemort as soon as I could—a very foolish thing—as I ended up being knocked out even before I had much of a fighting chance. But you did not need an old man like me." He gave them an acknowledged bow before he resumed in his cheerful voice. "If you were still in school I would have given you five hundred points each for your loyalty and bravery. But I suppose that knowledge that you have each other is reward enough. But let's try to analyze what we have seen."

"The protection spell Ron used Professor," Hermione began. Ron was surprised yet again how easily she could switch to investigative mode. "I know the unforgivable curse went through it, but is it possible it may have something to do with why Harry is within Ron?"

"I do not think so," replied Dumbledore. He stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Though it demonstrated how unselfish you were at the time, Ronald. I noticed when you set up the charm, it didn't even cover you. It just covered Harry. And Harry didn't have a wand at all so he did the only thing he could do: shield you with his own body. It confirms of course what we already know on how Voldemort was defeated. Your love for each other destroyed him for he could not endure such love being what he is. But it still does not answer why Harry ended up in your body. What else do you remember about your thoughts at the time you were about to be hit by the Avada Kedavra curse, Ronald? We couldn't possibly see those."

Ron thought back to what he just saw. Everything happened too quickly but his thoughts were all the same: everything was focused on Harry.

"When I saw the Avada Kedavra curse passing through the protection spell, I was wishing with all my might that Harry would survive, no matter what." He closed his eyes and thought hard. "I wanted him so much to remain here with me."

"And Harry, what are your thoughts?"

"That I didn't want to lose Ron. I had to save him somehow."

"You didn't want to part from him?" Dumbledore asked.

"Well, yes, I suppose so Professor," Harry answered.

The old wizard's eyes twinkled. "As one brilliant muggle would say: Eureka!" He gave Ron a brilliant smile. "You may not realize it, Ronald, but the strength of your unselfish desire had caused Harry to end up in you. As you have told me from your research on the library, you are aware that the soul ejects immediately from the body upon death. You see, when a soul ejects from the body, it has only two choices: to remain as a ghost or go on toward the afterlife. But in your case, Ronald, you gave a third choice for Harry. You offered that Harry be with you while he was wishing to remain with you. The power of your love called Harry's soul to your body."

"I... I did that?" Ron stammered.

'_Whoa, mate. That was... pretty cool. Thanks,' _Harry said and Ron could feel his heart swell with gratitude.

"People have often underestimated the power of love and all its capabilities. But as what we have here now, it has conquered even over death by disrupting the natural order of things."

"But do you think, Professor, that this is permanent?" Hermione asked. It had been the question that had been nagging them endlessly. "Will Harry remain with Ron?"

"Yes and no. It all depends on Ronald. He has willed Harry by his love to reside in his body. So Harry will continue to remain there unless Ron wishes it otherwise. Love holds you together in this state, but hate can break you apart. If you hate Harry, his soul will be forced out."

"I could never hate you Harry," Ron said with certainty. "Not for my whole life."

"I could never hate you either." Harry replied.

Dumbledore beamed at them but continued. "But then it brings us to the question: Is it possible to resurrect him? In his own body, I am sorry to say, no. A magical fire was used to burn Harry's body. It can never be repaired again."

'_Hey, don't worry mate,'_ Ron said. _'You can share my life, it doesn't matter to me.'_

"But of course there is another alternative."

"Like what Professor?" Hermione asked excitedly.

Dumbledore got up and walked to his bookshelf. He ran his hands along the spines of books looking for something. "Western literature on the soul is severely limited but our Asian counterparts have vast studies on them. In India, advanced wizards know of ways to transfer souls from one body to another—something that is quite taboo in our side of the globe. Ah! Here it is!"

He pulled a rather colorful book from the shelf. "This was a gift from a wonderful Indian witch I met at a Headmaster convention once in Bombay. I admit not understanding everything the book discusses. I am not trained in the mysticism of the soul. It takes years of meditation for that, but it does offer a solution to the problem at hand." He laid the book on the table and flicked his wand so that the pages turned on their own. He peered at the page for a minute then looked back at them.

"According to the book, there is a way for a soul in a living body—meaning a soul which hasn't chosen yet to be a ghost or to go to the afterlife—to be transferred to another body."

"So Harry can be transferred to another body?" Hermione asked.

"There hasn't been any record of two souls in one body, but yes Harry falls under the category of living soul since he is neither a ghost nor has he crossed over to the afterlife. As long as there is a living body he can reside in, he and Ronald can perform a spell that would enable them to eject Harry's soul and move to a new body."

"But where would we get another body?" Harry asked. "I doubt if anybody would take me in as willingly as Ron did."

"It cannot be a body that has a soul in it," Dumbledore explained. "Think of it. Where do you find such a body?"

Ron racked his brain along with Harry but together they couldn't come up with anything.

"A Dementor's victim!" Hermione exclaimed.

"What?" Ron and Harry asked in unison.

"Remember what we know of Dementors?" Hermione explained. She was jumping up and down in her chair in excitement. "Those who were given the kiss had their souls sucked up. The body would of course remain alive, but it no longer has a soul. It's just an empty shell."

"Excellent as usual, Hermione," Dumbledore praised.

"So all we need to do is find someone whose soul has been sucked by a Dementor," Harry said. "Do you know where we could find one, Professor? I can live even with Barty Crouch Jr. or that Death Eater we found crawling in the Riddle House."

Dumbledore turned serious. "I wish I could say it would be easy. Unfortunately, under Ministry regulation all Dementor victims are immediately administered a poison and given funeral rites. All past victims have already been technically executed. You won't find one living anymore unless it is a new victim."

"But how about the Death Eaters they've caught?" Ron suggested. "There is no more Azkaban and the guilty ones would be fed to those creatures."

"No Ron," Hermione corrected. Didn't you read the Daily Prophet? The new Minister of Magic, Madame Bones is against the death penalty and the remaining members of the Wizengamot agree with her. The Ministry of course is setting up a newer but very secure prison though with a more humane treatment. There will be no more victims of the Dementor's kiss if the Ministry can help it."

Ron gaped in disbelief at this news. "You mean after all those Death Eaters have done, all those killings and tortures all they get is a prison sentence without Dementors? That's hardly fair! Why shouldn't they die for their crimes?" Ron protested and Harry agreed with him. He of all people had known how much suffering had been wreaked havoc by those followers of the Dark Lord who wished power for themselves.

Dumbledore looked at them sadly but his eyes were kind. "It is without a doubt that the Death Eaters have committed horrible crimes. And I know it is difficult for you both to understand with what you have gone through. However, I agree with the new Ministry's order that death is not the only way that justice can be served. The punishment for those who are found guilty of being Death Eaters—for they will be given fair trial—will be severe. They will be condemned to live without their powers. Yes, there is a way to take away one's magical abilities permanently. A large part of their memories, those that contain their skills and abilities to do magic will be erased. They will be forced to learn to live again as muggles in a heavily guarded prison and the term shall be for life."

Ron thought about it. Condemned to be a muggle for life? It didn't seem such a harsh punishment at all. He still didn't feel it was enough, compared to what was taken from him. He recalled Charlie who fought bravely to save so many innocent lives in the attack at Diagon Alley, and Percy who was tortured to reveal what he knew that could endanger his family but didn't relent until they killed him.

"I am not asking you to accept this," Dumbledore added. "I know a lot of people have questioned this new order for capital punishment but I only ask that you consider this: We do not know what is there beyond life. Perhaps death is not a punishment after all. There are worse things. To Death Eaters who have given their entire lives for the quest for power through their magical abilities, they will suffer more than you can imagine with this judgment the Ministry will bring upon them. The knowledge of what they had once and is now lost to them forever is perhaps more severe than a thousand deaths. But I digress. That subject is in due time for you both to understand fully."

"What shall we do then, Professor?" Hermione asked. "Where can we find a Dementor's victim? We cannot just lure an innocent person to lose his soul just to give Harry a new body."

"Hermione's right," said Harry. "I can never do that. Nobody deserves to die so that I could live."

"I cannot answer where and when we can find a body," Dumbledore sighed. "We can only wait and hope, though I do not wish it on anyone, that someone will eventually fall victim to a Dementor's kiss. The most we could do is to notify the Ministry of Magic that they inform us immediately if there is any reported casualty so it would prevent them from killing the body. I shall also be lending you the book so you could learn the spell and perform it when the opportunity arises."

Dumbledore handed the book to Hermione who was looking at it as if it was the best Christmas present she had ever received. Ron agreed with Harry that they'd let her read and just ask her to summarize for them what they need to do.

"In the meantime," Dumbledore continued. "I suggest you get on with your normal lives. I know the war has prevented you from finishing your last few weeks of the term, but as you have taken your N.E.W.T.s, that is sufficient enough. You will be declared fully-fledged witch and wizards on the day you receive the results. I dare say you learned more from outside experiences than you could have if you just stayed for additional lectures." He looked at Hermione who looked slightly disappointed that there would be no remedial classes to make up for what they had missed.

'_Well it was better than we expected,'_ Ron said. _'Don't worry, Harry. You could stay here for the rest of my life if we couldn't find you a body.'_

'_Thanks mate.'_ Ron was crying Harry's happy tears. Dumbledore conjured another handkerchief and gave it to Ron.

"Here, have a kiss." Dumbledore said. "It always cheers me up."

Ron looked up in wonder at Dumbledore and saw the old wizard was offering a plate of cone-shaped silver things. Harry took one and unwrapped it. Ron's mouth watered, it was chocolate. He realized it must be a muggle sweet. It tasted wonderful though he thought Chocolate Frogs still tasted better.

Dumbledore stood up and they followed him and bid him farewell. Before they left, Dumbledore told them to get a handful each of the chocolates. Ron took two handfuls—one for himself and one for Harry—to the headmaster's amusement.

They strolled together past the familiar corridors, enjoying the fading afternoon light as it lit the stone walls. They took their time to soak everything in while popping chocolates in their mouths.

"Why do they call that a kiss?" Ron asked.

Hermione was unwrapping her third piece and paused to answer him before taking a delicate bite. "I'm not sure, but I heard before that each Hershey's chocolate kiss contains the same number of calories you lose when you kiss someone passionately."

"So in order not to get fat over these chocolates you have to kiss someone right after you eat one," Ron joked. Harry laughed.

"Yes, I supposed so, though I don't think the creators meant it that way.

Ron abruptly cut Harry's laugh. His gaze fell on her lips, where a chocolate stain had left its mark on the line below her lower lip. Hermione blushed when she realized Ron was staring but Ron couldn't take his eyes off her.

"You have chocolate on your face, Hermione," Harry said, and Ron was grateful for him for breaking the tension.

"Oh!" Hermione quickly wiped at her mouth.

They resumed walking and as they headed towards the gates Ron couldn't help but think that as much as he wanted Harry with him, there was a setback in sharing his body with his best friend.


	10. Career Invitations

**Chapter Ten**

**Career Invitations**

Finding out about Harry being around, albeit trapped in Ron's body, immediately transformed the general mood in the Burrow. The Weasleys were overjoyed at this news and they seemed to have forgotten there was ever a war. For many nights, they talked of nothing but this unusual incident and they couldn't be happier. Arthur and George were released from St. Mungo's soon after and the family returned to its old liveliness.

Harry could never remember feeling this happy. All those restless years of bearing the weight of being the savior of the wizarding world had come to an end and now he was free to live a truly good life with his best friends and the most wonderful family in the world. Harry couldn't help but feel a sense of irony in it. He had lost his life but he regained the world, though he had to share it with Ron. But even that wasn't something to feel bad about. He could never find anyone better to share this with than with his best friend. And now that the war was over, they both devoted time to thinking about the future. It began significantly on the morning of Harry's eighteenth birthday. They were just starting breakfast when more than a dozen owls came fluttering into the house.

"Our N.E.W.T scores have come in!" Hermione was the first to recognize the Hogwarts seal on one of her letters.

"Which one? What are all these?" Ron asked as he and Harry fought their way to see pass the mass of parchment and feathers that were gathering around their plate. More owls were coming in and most of them were landing on Ron. Fred, George and Ginny had all abandoned their toast and marmalade and joined in trying to clear the air of feathers, the twins with spells and Ginny with her bare hands.

"What on earth...!" Molly had just entered the dining room after bringing a breakfast tray to the still bed-ridden Arthur and was horrified at the chaos. She snatched up one letter that had fallen and looked at it. A smile broke on her face.

"They're invitation letters to apply for jobs in various Ministry Departments. This one's yours Ron."

"Along with these!" Fred exclaimed as he used a spell to pile up the letters on top of Ron's plate. "How come they got letters and George and I didn't?"

"That's because you and George never finished school," Molly replied with a hint of sarcasm. It was still a sore spot for Molly that the twins had dropped out of Hogwarts. Even when their joke shop turned into a success, Molly still wished they should have stayed until they had taken their N.E.W.T.s. "You do remember Bill, Charlie and Percy getting a few invitations themselves after they finished Hogwarts."

"But not this many," Ron said. The owls had finally cleared off leaving a rather large stack of parchment that completely buried Ron's and Harry's breakfast. Hermione looked at her own stack which was only half as many and Harry could see the envy in her eyes. "Half are probably Harry's," Ron added quickly after seeing Hermione's expression.

Ron and Harry moved the letters to sort them but as they rummaged through the pile Harry felt a twinge of sadness to find that all of them had Ron's name. Of course, nobody would send him a letter. With the exception of the Weasleys and their close friends in the Order, he was already dead to the wizarding world. But just as they moved to the bottom of the pile he saw a letter with the Hogwarts seal addressed to him.

"Hey, I think Dumbledore sent us Harry's N.E.W.T.s as well," Ron said to brighten him up. "Go on open it, mate."

Harry took over from Ron and excitedly ripped opened the envelope. Hermione paused from opening her own letter and leaned over to look at Harry's scores.

"Not bad Harry," Hermione praised.

"What does it say?" Molly asked excitedly.

He had as Hermione said, done quite well in the six subjects he retained in his N.E.W.T year. He read the summary out loud. "I got an O in Defense against the Dark Arts—not surprising—as well as Charms and Care of Magical Creatures. Transfiguration and Potions are Es, while Herbology is an A."

Molly hugged him. "Congratulations Harry dear!"

Harry smiled for Mrs. Weasley, though he was thinking back to his career consultation with Professor McGonagall in his fifth year. He wondered if his grades would have been good enough for him to be accepted as an Auror. He thought back to the night when he witnessed so many deaths and he was angry. Even though he knew he shouldn't blame himself for the deaths, he still felt responsible somehow. And the only way he could think to purge that guilt was to be there in the thick of it—fighting evil as an Auror. He felt disappointment at the fact that whether or not he did have good grades, it was no longer any use unless he got a new body soon.

"Don't think we need to know Hermione's," Ron interrupted Harry's thoughts. "I'm sure she got all Os in all her subjects."

Hermione blushed and confirmed that what Ron said was true. The rest of the Weasleys gave her praise and congratulations.

"Let's look at yours, Ron." Molly said after the excitement died down on Hermione's achievement. Harry felt Ron tense and their hands shook as Ron opened his letter. He knew Ron was worried. Bill, Charlie and Percy had good grades and they were all hard to top.

"_Harry, you read it aloud," _Ron said.

"_Alright."_

Harry cleared their throat. "O in Defense, Care of Magical Creatures and... oh, in Herbology!"

Harry could feel their ears turn pink. "You've got an E in Transfiguration just like me, and As on Charms and Potions! I think you did—"

"—_just as well as me."_ Harry continued silently to Ron as he never finished his praise verbally. They were attacked by Mrs. Weasley's excited arms.

"Mum, geroff! Ron complained. "You're killing Harry and me!"

Molly let go but she was still ecstatic. "I'm so proud of you!

Harry and Ron blushed.

"Harry, I think there's an accompanying letter from Dumbledore on your scores," Hermione said. She was holding up his envelop.

Harry reached into his letter and sure enough there was another piece of parchment.

_Dear Harry,_

_Let me congratulate you on doing a fine job at your N.E.W.T.s. I am sure that even with the present circumstances with Ronald, you will find that these scores are still essential to your future career. I hope you will come to agree on whatever profession you choose and perhaps you can settle on something you want in common. You might want to consider Moody's offer. He has sent you a separate letter._

_Sincerely._

_Albus Dumbledore_

Harry appreciated the letter though he knew he would leave the career choosing to Ron. After all it was Ron's body and perhaps he could be transferred to another body anytime soon.

They found a similar letter from Dumbledore attached to Ron's scores and they quickly looked for Mad-Eye Moody's letter. They found one letter that had both their names on them with a seal from the Auror Department of the Ministry of Magic. Two pieces of parchment fell out. The official-looking one was an invitation to train as Aurors. It included details of qualifying tests set next week.

The other parchment was written in an unfamiliar but less formal scrawl.

_Potter and Weasley,_

_By now I am sure you have read the official invitation sent to you by the Auror Department. Neither of you have the grades required for all Auror trainees but given your situation the department has decided to make an exception. I have heard of you performing two spells at the same time—practically an impossible feat—at St. Mungo's. Of course I understood when Dumbledore explained to me that this is because there are two of you residing in one body. That factor gives you quite an advantage which the Auror Department shall surely value as an asset. _

_Should you wish to accept this invitation, you will both be trained. However, in order to maximize this advantage we wish your situation to remain a secret, even among your fellow trainees, and later among Auror colleagues. I have told this to only two other people in the Department—the head and her deputy. Dumbledore told me that you do not wish for the public to know about your present circumstance and I believe this is prudent. I trust that your secret shall remain with the exception of your family and closest friends._

_Alastor Moody_

Harry could barely hide his excitement from Ron. They were invited to be Aurors! But just as quickly, his hopes died down as he glanced at the still enormous pile. There were more than a dozen letters in there and perhaps Ron wasn't too keen to go off fighting dark wizards for the rest of his life.

"_What do you think Harry?"_

"_Well, it's nice but it's your decision."_

"_What do you mean my decision? We're deciding this together."_

"_It's not really my place Ron. I mean... I'm just the tenant here. You're the body-owner. You decide."_

"_Thanks mate, but really I do want your opinion. I know you said you wanted to be an Auror before..."_

"_Well, yeah," _Harry replied uncomfortably. _"But do you?"_

"_Well we've been fighting dark wizards for the past seven years. Reckon it's quite an exciting life. I can't think of any other career anyway."_

Harry felt better but he still wanted Ron to have a choice. _"Well, don't decide just yet. Maybe we should look at the other invitations first."_

Ron agreed and pulled at one letter. Hermione was also opening one of hers. "Hey do you mind helping Harry and me in here. There may be two of us but we only have two hands," Ron said to Fred, George and Ginny. They agreed and began opening his letters.

"Why do you have so many anyway?" Ginny asked. "Bill, Charlie and Percy didn't have this many.

The answer came with the first letter Ron and Harry opened. It was from the Department of Magical Transport inviting Ron to consider a career monitoring illegal transportation vehicles. But what struck them the most were the glowing compliments for Ron and how delighted they would be if _the-Boy-Who-Survived_ became part of their department. The next letter from the Department of Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures had a similar message with the same compliments that mentioned Ron's new _title._

"_The positions aren't really that good. At least not as good as an Auror. I think they only sent me these letters because they think I'm the "Boy-Who-Survived" or whatever crappy name the Daily Prophet spread about me," _Ron said.

"This is ridiculous," Ron said aloud after he read a third letter. "The Muggle-Worthy Excuse Committee is inviting me to be part of their diplomatic relations team for dealing with various Muggle heads of states from non-European cultures. What do I know about that? I never even took up Muggle Studies. What are these people playing at?"

"They probably just want an image builder on their staff and they want the Boy-Who-Survived to do that for them," Hermione said. She was now looking at them with pity. Getting invites just because one was famous wasn't something she could be jealous of.

"That one can't be worse than this," said a snickering George. "He dangled an orange envelop with a familiar logo.

Harry felt Ron's heart jump.

"The Cannons are inviting me to play!"

George smirked at him and pulled the letter away before Ron could snatch it. "Don't get your hopes up little brother. Yes, they are inviting _the _Boy-Who-Survived, but not to play. They want you to..." He stopped and was attacked by a fit of laughter. He muttered something unintelligible.

"To what?" Ron was bursting with anticipation.

George was already in tears. "They want you to..." he managed to read from the parchment. "'Revitalize the spirit of our team as our mascot.'"

Harry hollered with the rest of the Weasleys but Ron didn't find it funny at all. In fact his heart was still jumping with excitement. "But I'll still be a part of the team right! If I take the job, I'll be traveling with the team to all their games and—"

Fred managed to stop laughing. "Are you serious? I thought you were the biggest Cannon's fan. Don't you remember what the Cannons do to their mascots at the start of the game?"

Harry felt Ron's enthusiasm plunge.

"_Ron, what exactly do they do to the mascots at the start of the game?"_

"_They launch them from a cannon,"_ Ron replied sadly.

Harry had a split-second image of he and Ron being hurled in the air after being launched from a cannon. It was not a pretty picture.

"_I think that may be a bad career move,"_ Harry said.

"_I hate to say it because it's the Cannons, but I think I have to agree Harry."_

They went through all the letters, laughing at the more ridiculous positions. There were some possibly good ones though, such as a liaison officer for events at the Department of Magical Games and Sports, which could get them into all the best Quidditch games, even the World Cup. Another prospective job was a broom tester for the Broom Regulatory Control Department, which would allow them to sample the latest model brooms. The setback however, as Hermione immediately pointed out, was they might end up breaking their neck in the process of trying out unstable brooms.

"_Last letter, Harry," _Ron said. They opened the final envelop from the Department of Magical Law Enforcement Patrol which described an idealistic life working to keep wizarding communities safe at all times.

"_It's not so bad," _Ron said. _"But it doesn't have the same status as an Auror. I say, that one's the best offer we've got, unless of course you have something else in mind, Harry."_

"_Nope. I'm all for it, Ron," _Harry replied with an enormous relief. They relayed their decision to the rest of the Weasleys. Molly was a bit disappointed and said something about taking a job too dangerous, but everyone else seemed to be happy for them.

"How about you, Hermione, what have you got?" Ron asked. Everyone turned to her and Harry could see she was pleased that somebody finally gave her some attention. She had only gone through half of her letters since she had no help in opening them. Harry and Ron quickly volunteered to help her open the remaining half.

All of her invites were for sensible positions. Hermione seemed to find everything interesting that she couldn't make up her mind.

"Hey you got an invite from the Aurors too!" Ron exclaimed. That wasn't a surprise. She was probably the only other one in their class to get one since she got an Outstanding on all her N.E.W.T.s. "Why don't you come with us? The three of us can be Aurors together."

Hermione looked a bit uncomfortable. "I'm not sure. I mean, the other offers look promising."

"But not as promising as fighting dark wizards," Ron replied, failing to notice her reluctance. "We'll be brilliant!"

"I'm not sure..." she replied helplessly.

"Just take the tests with us then," Harry said. "There are still some character and aptitude tests. Just see if you like it, then you can decide."

Hermione looked at him gratefully. "Alright, I'll take the tests with you."

That settled, they cleared off the letters and resumed their breakfast, talking noisily about their future careers. They were on their last bite of toast when another owl appeared and made for Ron.

"Got another one?" Ginny asked.

Harry saw that it was addressed to him and he immediately knew who it was from. "It's from Professor Lupin." He let Ron open it while he explained. "I've been wondering about that property on Godric's Hollow that once belonged to my parents since Gringotts mentioned that it still exists. I asked Professor Lupin if he could take me there."

Ron had finally opened the letter and they read it briefly. "He said he's free this afternoon from chasing Death Eaters and can escort us there himself. He said we could bring at least one other person just to be safe." He turned to Hermione. "Want to come?"

Hermione nodded. "I'd love to, Harry."

They finished the rest of their breakfast and Harry, Ron and Hermione cleared up the table and picked up the small pile of presents Harry opened earlier at the table before heading upstairs. Hermione borrowed Hedwig so she could owl her parents. They parted on Ginny's floor and Harry and Ron proceeded to Ron's room.

"_Try the jumper, Harry," _Ron said, indicating the Weasley jumper his mother knitted for him. Ron let him put it on. It was dark green with an H in the middle. When they faced the mirror Harry understood why Mrs. Weasley always knitted maroon for Ron. Green was definitely not his color.

Ron scowled. _"Guess mum forgot that your eyes are no longer green. It clashes horribly with my hair."_

"_At least it's still pretty warm. We could still use it." _They went through the other presents. Hermione gave him a book called, _So You're out of Hogwarts: Time to Choose a Career,_ which Harry figured he wouldn't need. Fred and George's present was a bag of multi-colored candy which Harry and Ron resolved not to touch. A note attached to the bag said it was for his cousin Dudley if Harry decided to visit his relatives. Ginny's was by far the most simple, yet the most moving, even for Ron. It was a homemade picture frame that had a photo of Harry, Hermione and all the Weasleys taken a year ago before Percy died. He and Ron decided to put it on the bedside table so they could see it first when they woke up.

"_Sorry I couldn't get you a birthday present," _Ron said. _"It's a bit impossible to get you one since you'd know immediately. But if you do want something, we could go to Diagon Alley and we could buy it."_

"_Ron, I'm going to be an Auror with you. It's the best birthday gift I could have, considering I'm already dead."_

Ron was pleased.

**A/N: Thank you again for all your wonderful reviews. Just a few mentions. Thanks to Mars-Alfgonso for that tidbit on the Hershey's kisses. I just heard about that thing about the calories so I decided to add it here, but I'm not sure if it's true. To Dassadec, you're right, I could have fun with this, but I already know what will happen to Harry. But the idea of having Harry as a girl is nice too. But I can't use it here, though I will mention that idea in a later chapter. I've got an idea of turning Harry into a girl, but it has to be another fic, it just doesn't work here. I have other plans for him. Again thanks for nattieb who never fails to review. **

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	11. Mickey

**Chapter Eleven**

**Mickey**

"Not much further, we'll be seeing it soon," Lupin called out to them as they trudged along the dirt road boarded by lush green trees and tall grasses. Harry's heart skipped a beat. After all those years of wondering, he would finally see his first home with his parents. Earlier, he and Ron, along with Lupin and Hermione, flooed to the local pub in Godric's Hollow—the nearest fireplace to the location of what used to be Potter Manor. After that, it was a good twenty minute walk to the site. They couldn't Apparate directly since they were not familiar with the area. Five minutes away from the pub, the street turned to an unpaved road that had obviously fallen to neglect. There were a few houses that lined the street but they were all abandoned.

"This used to be a thriving community," Lupin explained. "When Voldemort attacked your family, people got scared and moved away. I suppose nobody has been living in the vicinity since then."

Harry saw it from a far. In one area cleared of trees stood a ruin of what could have been a grand building long ago. Vines and bushes covered the broken stone walls and one could see bits and pieces of broken statues and windows. Harry couldn't imagine how he had managed to survive as a baby under that rubble.

"Hagrid said he found you trapped under a bed. Amazingly, when the house collapsed you were protected by the bed," Lupin answered, as if reading Harry's thoughts.

Harry approached the ruins and took in everything in his surroundings. He touched the cold, worn stone wall.

"_Do you remember anything about this Harry?"_

"_No, I can't. I was too young then. But I do have pictures of my parents showing them here so I have an idea what it used to look like. Here..."_ He walked towards a piece of broken steps. _"There was a staircase here that led to the second floor and over there used to be a fire place. I've got a picture with me and my parents standing next to a Christmas tree by the fire. It was beautiful." _

"Harry, come over here. I found something!" Hermione called.

Harry and Ron ran to where she stood in the middle of the ruins. She was clearing one area of the ground of vines with her wand. Harry looked closely at the object that she stumbled upon. It looked like an iron shield with a coat of arms. It had an image of a man holding a pot in his hands.

Lupin came up from behind them. "It's the Potter's family crest. It used to hang over the front door. I thought that was destroyed. I must have missed it when I went back to salvage anything of value. Accio crest!"

The seal untangled itself from the vines and came to Lupin's hand. "It's still intact. Do you want to keep it Harry?"

"Yes, I'd love that very much." Harry took it and muttered a spell to clean it. The seal was already faded but he could see that it used to be red with the image of the potter in gold.

"Put it down for a minute, Harry. I need to show you something," said Lupin. Harry gently set the seal aside against a wall and followed Lupin. Hermione walked closely behind.

"It's been so long since I've been here. I'm afraid I've neglected them," Lupin said as he walked toward what Harry could tell was the back of the house.

"Neglected who, Professor?" Hermione asked.

"You'll see," the older wizard replied. He led them a little distance away from the ruins near a cluster of beech trees. Underneath were several stone mounds covered with grass and ivy. Lupin muttered a spell on one and it revealed a memorial marker. Harry approached it and read the engraving:

James Potter and Lily Evans Potter

Harry's eyes stung with tears.

"_Alright there, Harry?"_

"_Yeah. Just never occurred to me they'd have a memorial marker."_

Lupin and Hermione set off clearing other markers. Harry and Ron curiously went through the freshly cleared ones. They were surprised to find that they were all markers of members of the Potter family.

"_Harry, I think all your relatives have markers here."_

"_I wish I could have met them," _Harry replied. _"I don't know anything much about my family and there's no one to tell me." _

Harry closed their eyes for a minute and savored the slight breeze that ruffled their hair and cooled their skin. When he reopened them, everything seemed alive with green from the large beech trees to the tall grasses and vines that had conquered almost every inch of the ground that stretched onwards until it disappeared into a wooded area. Harry tried to imagine this as a backyard garden long ago. Not a garden with trim lawns and elegant flowers like the Dursleys, but one that grew a bit wild with interesting magical plants. The wood reminded him of the Forbidden Forest, and he thought of Hogwarts.oHoHo....

"_It feels wonderful here, Ron. Everything feels so peaceful and homey." _

"_You're right, mate. The Burrow's a wonderful place but if I could choose to live anywhere, I think I'd like it here as well. Big open spaces for Quidditch, far from civilization and no muggles to bother with."_

Harry was suddenly struck by an idea. _"Why don't we then?"_

"_Don't we what?"_

"_Live here. We can have the house rebuilt and then we could move out of the Burrow and have a place of our own."_

"_That would be just wicked Harry! I've been dying to get out of the house. I mean it will be nice to have a bigger space for once. Hey, could Hermione come, too?"_

"_Yeah, sure. I know she's meaning to get a flat but maybe she'd like to stay with us. It will just be like at school."_

Hermione and Lupin had just finished clearing up the markers. Lupin used several spells to conjure a blanket and grew back to original size the picnic basket that Mrs. Weasley prepared for them that Lupin shrunk earlier to fit in his pocket. They sat under the trees and began to eat their sandwiches and pumpkin juice while Harry and Ron told them their plans.

"I think it's a grand idea, Harry," Lupin said. "I'm sure James would have wanted you to live here. He told me once this was the Potter ancestral home, much like the Burrow is the Weasleys. It's only fitting you come back to it."

"I only wish I could have it rebuilt the same way as it was before," said Harry. "Professor, perhaps you could help make the plans from what you can remember."

"Well, it's been a long time, Harry," Lupin said a bit uncomfortably. "It's been years but I'll try to remember as much as I can to—" Lupin stopped suddenly and looked alarmed.

"What is it, Professor?" Hermione asked, but Lupin motioned her to be silent. He was looking at the line of trees at the edge of the wood. He had his wand out and his eyes were unblinking.

"I smell something. We're not alone."

Harry, Ron and Hermione instinctively got out their wands. But Lupin was already putting his wand on his side, but otherwise still had it ready at any moment.

"Don't make it too obvious," he whispered. "I don't want to frighten it."

Harry shuddered to think what _it_ could be, but he and Ron lowered their wands to their sides so as not to attract attention.

Lupin moved forward, casually toward the cluster of trees. Harry followed his movements. He caught a shadow of something small scurrying along the thick bushes.

"Stupefy!" Lupin shouted.

There was tiny "_ooof_" and they heard something collapse to the ground. Lupin ran toward it and Harry, Ron and Hermione followed him. Harry was expecting to see a small animal, but he didn't expect...

"An elf?" Hermione gasped. Lying on the grass, stunned, was a small creature with big bat-like ears wearing what looked like a ragged quilt made out of sewed up potholders and a single torn doily for a cap. It was smaller and younger than what Harry had seen of other house elves he knew.

"It's Mickey!" Lupin smiled. "She must have been here for years."

"Mickey?" Harry asked. He had a mental image of the Disney mouse that he saw on TV when he was a little kid and noticed a certain similarity to the creature, though the cartoon was much more appealing.

"The Potter's house elf," Lupin declared and Hermione scowled at his choice of words.

"She's relatively young. I believe she was born just days after your parents married, Harry. Your mother even named her, strange name for an elf but James found it rather amusing. I thought she died with the rest of her family when Voldemort destroyed the house. But I've been here before several times to pay respects to Lily and James and I never saw her. I wonder what made her come out this time."

"It's Harry, Professor!" Hermione exclaimed. She shook her head at the confused looks her companions were giving her and proceeded to explain as if she was reciting from a book. "Elves have their own brand of magic linked to their nature as (she winced as if she was disgusted of saying the word) _slaves_. They can sense if any member of the family they serve is near and they standby to take orders. So it's possible, she sensed Harry's presence and came forward."

"I suppose you're right. But maybe we could know better if we waken her." Lupin enervated the knocked-out elf and it slowly blinked its eyes open. When she gained focus, she turned her gaze to Harry and Ron and she looked at them with a confused expression. For several minutes, she didn't say anything and appeared to be deliberating at what was before her.

"Master?" she spoke in tiny voice.

"You know me?" Harry asked.

The elf remained bewildered. "Yes, Mickey thinks so," she replied in the same frightened voice. She looked around at Lupin and Hermione and she cringed with their gaze.

"It's alright, Mickey, we're not going to hurt you," Hermione assured her.

Mickey only shrank even further.

"You recognize me as a Potter?" Harry asked gently.

The elf nodded. "Little Master Harry, but... but there's something different, different body but same Master Harry inside with someone else," she squeaked and she looked like she was surprised at herself for being so bold.

"I know," Harry smiled. He had an exciting idea. This house elf knew his parents, had lived with them, even for a short time. She would certainly remember what the old house looked like, probably even better than Lupin. She could be very useful. "Come on up," Harry offered his hand at her.

Mickey suddenly burst into tears and she used her doily cap to blow her nose.

"What now?" Harry asked instantly before he remembered that house elves considered it unusual and a great honor to be treated politely by wizards, which they considered superior.

"Oh, young Master is so kind," she managed to say. "Just like dear Mistress Lily. Oh, my poor Mistress!" She began sobbing again. Harry was a bit annoyed of the wretchedness of the creature but at the same time he was heartened at the mention of his mother. He imagined that his mother was very kind to house elves if Mickey regarded her with such praise. He wondered if his mother could have crotched the doily cap personally or made that potholder quilt she was wearing. That thought made him point his wand at the elf and mutter cleaning and repair charms. The elf shrieked and surprise but she looked like she would start bawling even harder when she saw that Harry had cleaned her up and patched a bit of her pitiful garment.

"Don't cry. That's an order," Harry said firmly.

"Harry!" Hermione reproved.

"What? You want her crying again?" Harry defended. He looked at the elf, which was fighting to obey his command. "And come with us, sit and eat—and I don't want to hear any show of gratefulness. You do eat sandwiches, do you?"

Mickey nodded as she tried to control her eyes from bursting with tears. She looked completely dazed when they sat back down on their blanket and Hermione handed her a sandwich. She nibbled it carefully as if afraid that her manner of eating would displease her companions.

After introductions were made, Harry asked Mickey to tell them everything that happened to her. Apparently she had been living in the cellar of the house for years, the only part of the house that wasn't completely ruined because it was below ground. She had grown her own little vegetable garden in the woods and survived on that alone without any company, waiting for the day her little Master Harry would come back.

"So all this time, you have just been waiting here?" Ron asked.

"Of course she has to wait," Hermione said angrily. "Elves have to obey their masters' last command. And if the masters go away, usually the last order is to keep to the house so the elves can't leave it unless they are given further instruction. So even if the family they serve die out they still have to wait there, even if the living conditions," she glanced at the remnants of the house and huffed crossly. "Are unfit for any creature to survive in."

"But what if there are new owners of the house?" Ron asked. "I mean like Sirius' properties. I'm, sure the Blacks kept a number of house elves in their other estates. Does that mean Harry and I are their masters now, since we inherited everything?"

Hermione shook her head. "No, you're not. The elves may be attached to the house but the new owners can't be their masters. There have been cases when the new owners don't want the elves in while the elves try keep to the house as ordered to them by their masters. Usually the elves end up being evicted from the house and they are made to wander around in the area for the rest of their lives if they have no other masters to serve. They can't even be freed. But I never realize that the Blacks have other elves. I wonder where they are now."

"I suppose they are still living in their assigned estates. Still waiting for any Black family member to come and give them orders," Lupin replied.

"But there are no more Blacks, not directly," said Hermione. "I suppose Tonks could qualify as the heir and Draco Malfoy. But Malfoy's disappeared, probably left the country. I don't think he'll be coming back if he knows what's good for him."

This morning Hermione had told them that the Daily Prophet reported that Draco Malfoy had been one of the few suspected Death Eaters still missing after the last battle. Recent intelligence reports figured he had fled the country to some far flung province in Eastern Europe. He didn't matter to Harry anymore as long as he never showed his face again.

"Well if any of those elves are anything like Kreacher, then they can't be much of an asset can they?" said Ron. He eyed Hermione suspiciously. "You're not thinking of asking Tonks to free them, are you?"

"Why not?" Hermione replied haughtily. "They're probably miserable, living in drab old houses—"

"With complete freedom from masters and mistresses who won't be able to persecute them anymore," Lupin interrupted. "As much as you have good intentions Hermione, I am sure the Black's elves are best left alone. They are capable of taking care of themselves and maintaining their respective households. In fact they could even make repairs and reconstruct old structures suited for them, just as I am sure Mickey here repaired part of the cellar to suit herself. If you free them, they will be forced out of their comfortable homes and would be left without any employment. That wouldn't help their condition, would it?"

"I...I suppose if you put it that way," Hermione said uncomfortably. "But certainly you will be freeing Mickey, Harry."

"Oh no!" the house elf suddenly squeaked. She knelt before Harry and Ron, frantically grasped at the end of their robe and sobbed. "Oh, please Master Harry, do not free Mickey! Mickey has no where to go if Master sends Mickey away! Mickey has waited for so long to see Master again. Mickey remembers that night when the bad wizard came. Mickey was ever so frightened that Mickey hid under the bed of little Master's room. When the bad wizard made the house fall, Mickey put young Master Harry under the bed to keep little Master safe. Mickey kept Master Harry company for hours until the nice giant came and took him away."

Harry gaped at the elf. So it was she who had saved him from being buried under the house. He was growing more and more grateful for the elf by the minute.

"Of course I won't send you away," Harry reassured her. "I want you to come and live here with me and my friends when I rebuild the house."

The elf's eyes brightened and she began kissing their shoes. "Mickey thanks Master. Oh, Mickey is so happy with such a wonderful Master!"

But Hermione was still looking daggers at him. It was Ron who spoke for him.

"What?" Ron asked. "It's not like Harry or I or you would mistreat her. We could use a house elf to help out at home, especially if we're all training as Aurors."

"That's not the point, Ron." Hermione argued. "It's still slavery. She should be given payment for her work. And what about her clothes? You want her to spend the rest of her life wearing those rags?"

"Mickey don't want no clothes, Miss. Mickey is only happy to serve good kind Master." She gave Hermione a reproachful look.

"See, Hermione. She likes the way things are. So leave it at that."

"That's because she doesn't know any better. Look at Dobby; he likes the perks of his job after he was freed."

"That's because Dobby's master was a bloody scum who worked him to death. It would be a relief to the poor creature that he could at least have day offs every now and then. But Mickey here hasn't had a job to do for seventeen years. She'll be dying to work for us."

Mickey nodded in agreement and smiled brightly at Ron.

"Look," Harry finally interrupted before the row escalated. "I'll free her, alright, on the condition she still works for me. I'll pay her wages, give her days off; I'll even provide a clothing allowance. Happy now, Hermione?"

Hermione nodded, but the house elf was looking panicky again.

"Mickey wants no allowance or day offs or paying. Mickey is an honorable elf and no honorable elf wants freeing or paying from good Master."

But her plea was in vain. Harry had already taken off a sock and presented it to her. She shrank from it and started crying.

"Go on, take it," Ron said impatiently. "You're not going anywhere anyway. You'll still be doing the same thing. And you'll still have to deal with her." He pointed at Hermione who scowled.

The elf finally took the sock and pressed it to her cheek as if it was something sacred.

"Well then, I'll give her two galleons a week for wages and another galleon for clothes. Then days off once a week," Harry said, looking at the elf, who looked horrified at being given so much.

"You'll get used to it," Hermione smiled at her, but Mickey only cringed away from her and hid behind Harry and Ron's robe.

"The question is will she get used to you?" Ron smirked. "Seems to me you're giving the house elves more grief than comfort and I thought you were on their side."

Hermione replied only with an annoyed "_Hmmph_" which relieved Harry very much. He turned to Lupin.

"I suppose I could start re-construction soon. Where exactly do wizards get construction services? I mean, I suppose there's a firm that does it. I know nothing of building houses."

"Neither do most wizards, Harry," Lupin smiled.

"Except maybe my dad," Ron said. "But you don't want him building this. I mean the Burrow's okay but you've seen it and it doesn't really look, you know... elegant."

Harry had to agree. The Burrow looked like several floors were added as extensions from all sides. It wasn't exactly aesthetically pleasing.

"Wizards don't build houses," Lupin said. "House elves do. Normally, an old wizarding family uses their own house elves or borrows from friends. I don't think Mickey here is enough. She's far too young to have learned much about building, we need older elves for that. But I think Tonks would be willing to lend some of the Black's elves in the construction. I could ask her to round up some living in the estates in Britain and send them off here."

"Do you think I could come with her and see them?" Hermione suddenly brightened. Ron and Harry both rolled their eyes and Hermione raised an eyebrow. "Well, I want to know how their conditions are."

Harry was amused to see that his former teacher was fighting not to roll his eyes in much the same fashion as he and Ron were doing. He turned slightly away from Hermione so she couldn't see his expression. "I suppose you could. Perhaps Harry and Ron would like to come too and see what they own. I'll see if Tonks is available tomorrow. The earlier we send the elves here to work, the better. If we manage everything right you might be able to move in after you take your Auror tests."

"But that would be next week, wouldn't it?" Harry asked, puzzled.

"Well it could be sooner, but you do want to give Mickey time to clean up first before we move in, right?" Ron replied and Harry suddenly realized that it took a lot less time to construct a house using magic than doing it the Muggle way.


	12. Black Castle

**Chapter Twelve**

**Black Castle**

"Whew! Glad that's over!" Tonks sighed in relief. "It doesn't look much, doesn't it?" She had just stepped in front of a massive wooden door of an old castle that had seen better days. Two large towers at the brink of collapse dominated the entire structure and cast shadows on the crumbling walls of the main building below. Everything looked dark, dirty, moist and creeping with moss.

Except for the dark part, Harry thought Tonks looked like the castle walls. She was dripping wet with bits of water plants sticking up her hair and robes after she fell several times off the slippery rocks and into the grimy moat that surrounded the castle. Not that the castle needed a moat for protection. It was already hard to find as it is.

The Black Castle in Cornwall had been their first stop to look for elves to rebuild Potter Manor. Harry thought they would just walk into an ancient house like Grimmauld Place, order some elves to Godric's Hollow and be back in time for a Quidditch game at the Burrow before lunch. He didn't expect that the trip itself would take the entire morning and would resemble something like the third task of the Tri-wizard Tournament.

The castle, to Harry's dismay, was unplottable, therefore Un-apparationable. As no one, not even Tonks, had been to it before, they decided to walk to the castle. The only entrance to the castle as far as the documents from Gringotts stated was through a cave near the ruins of the muggle Cornwall Castle by the sea. The cave was partly hidden by rocks and was constantly flooded knee deep with seawater. It led into a large tunnel that opened to a dozen holes that could lead one to either a dead end or a nest of Cornish Pixies. They had three failed attempts before they got the right hole leading to the other side. But even with the right hole, getting out alive was difficult. Doxies and Malaclaws prowled the length of the tunnel while devil's snare and other vicious plants were growing on the walls. If one was not careful, the magical creatures could lead a person to the death grip of the plants.

After about two hours of wandering and fighting their way through the long dark tunnel, they managed to find themselves at the foot of a medieval building with a rather small moat. Harry figured much of it had dried up in the last few years and the rocks can be used to cross it by foot. It was slippery though, and all of them managed to slip at least once. Tonks, who had the worst balance, slipped more than thrice.

"We should have gotten brooms," Ron complained, when they finally came beside Tonks by the door. "There has got to be an easier way to get here."

"I suppose there's an easier way," Tonks said after she muttered a drying and cleaning charm on herself. "Hopefully, we'll go through that one on the way back. I don't fancy another round with those Pixies or those Malaclaws. I suppose we could ask the house elves, that is, if we survive long enough to meet them."

"And if we do get out, let's also hope this castle has enough elves for the construction," said Harry. "I don't want to go around knocking at the other Black properties if it's this hard to get to just one."

Everybody but Hermione murmured an agreement. Hermione looked like she was about to protest but decided not to. She looked disappointed though. She was looking forward to going through all the Black properties and checking on all their house-elves. She even suggested going to France where most of the properties were found. But after this first attempt, even she had to admit Harry had a point.

"I suppose I could just knock," Tonks said as she grasped an ugly looking knocker with the image of an unidentifiable beast.

"Wands out, just in case," Lupin warned.

Tonks knocked softly on the door, but the sound seemed to pierce the quiet morning with the grating sound of metal that hadn't been touched in years. They waited for a few moments, and when nothing happened, Tonks stepped back.

"I suppose _Alohomora_ is in—"

Tonks stopped for the door slowly creaked open. They all looked down and saw a very old house-elf. He was wearing a kitchen towel, but unlike Kreacher, he looked tidy despite his age. He cringed when he saw Tonks and bowed nervously at her.

"Greetings Miss..."

"Tonks," she replied. "My mother was Andromeda Black. I'm one of the last two Black heirs alive."

Terror lit the old elf's eyes. "My mistress," he managed to say in a shaky voice. "Please enter. Balder and the elves of this house are at your service."

Harry and Ron followed Tonks in and they were amazed at what they saw. Although the castle looked old and worn from the outside, here it was well-kept. The room they entered in was huge, almost as big as the Hogwarts entrance hall. A large glittering chandelier lit the room and there was a polished grand staircase leading to what appeared to be several rooms on the upper floor. The floor's carpet was clean and the pictures on the walls, though featured ugly portraits of members of the Black family, were well cared for.

"_Not bad, Harry. This may be worth something after all."_

"_It certainly seems promising," _Harry considered. _"But don't you think it's a bit too much... I don't know... lavish."_

"_Well it's a rich house, not to mention a good fortress if ever you need to hide out. It could be a good vacation house if you get tired of Potter Manor. We just need to get rid of the portraits." _

"_I don't know Ron; it looks a bit creepy to me. But I suppose we could look around for a bit." _

The elf led them toward a wide hallway and they passed several pieces of old style furniture that Harry could tell was very expensive. They finally came to a drawing room that had large cushioned divans, thick carpets and more paintings. A fire was crackling on the elaborately carved fireplace and above it was the Black family tree similar to the one in Grimmauld Place. Everything looked grand and beautiful yet cold and impersonal. It reminded Harry of the Slytherin common room. Of course, the fact that there were also heads of house-elves mounted on one wall and an assortment of deadly-looking weapons at every corner gave it an air of morbidity.

"What is my Mistress' will?" the old elf asked humbly.

"A bit of food for me and my friends should be nice," Tonks said, a bit uncomfortably. "We're quite famished from the trip."

"Are there particular dishes that Mistress wishes to have?" he continued in the same prostrate manner.

"Whatever you got is good, and something to drink too," Tonks replied.

The elf bowed out and disappeared but reappeared a few minutes later.

"Food is served at the dinning room, Mistress. If you could follow Balder."

They walked to the next room which appeared as large as the previous one. There was a long table laden with food and set for four. They all sat down to dine and discovered rich food: fish and meat in thick sauces, creamy soups, fresh fruit, cheese, bread and pudding. Wine was served in delicate goblets, while there were half a dozen pieces of cutlery next to each plate. Harry found the experience a bit stifling.

"_So this is how the Blacks dine,"_ Ron said. _"They're a stuffy lot, aren't they?"_

Harry agreed but they were hungry that despite the uncomfortable feeling, he and Ron got the usual three helpings of everything. Nobody said anything until desert.

Tonks attacked a piece of pudding with a large fork, not caring if she was using the right one, before she finally broke the silence. "My mother said this used to be the Black winter house. They used to have dinner parties here and they'd go for a bit of game afterwards. I'm not sure what kinds of games they do. But from what I could sense it wasn't good."

"I think I have an idea," Lupin said. Harry noticed he was the only one who didn't seem to eat as much as they did. He hardly touched his food and looked uncomfortable since they entered the house. "I didn't want to say anything before we ate, but Sirius once wrote me when he had to come home here for Christmas vacation our second year. On Christmas Eve, his father used the drawing room to show his guests how to use his 'toys.' I take it those were the weapons hanging on the walls. He said something about trying it out on one of the house elves. I guess one of them is probably hanging on the wall now."

"That's horrible!" cried Hermione. "Those poor elves!"

"This is one of the most horrible places I've ever heard of, according to Sirius," Lupin continued. "If Grimmauld was bad, this castle was worse. It may look grand but Sirius told me this is where the real tortures happen. He said there was even a hidden torture chamber in the cellar that was used by his ancestors to kill muggles or their captured enemies."

Harry, who was relishing his fourth serving of the pudding, dropped the fork. Even Ron's appetite HBe He HeHe wasn't enough for the sinking feeling he was getting.

"_Uh, Ron... I'm not sure it's a good idea."_

"_Say no more Harry. I am not living in this place. It could rot for all I care. It's too damn gloomy anyway, not to mention a nightmare to get into."_

The elf appeared again with his head bowed low. "Do mistress and her friends wish to stay?" he asked. Harry noticed his voice was hoarser than before, as if he was hiding some sort of pain.

"What's that on your face, Balder?" Hermione asked with concern. Harry saw that the elf had a large bruise on his cheek that wasn't there before.

The elf's went wide with fear for a moment that Harry thought he imagined it. "It's nothing Miss. Balder hit himself on the way to the kitchens.

Hermione eyed him doubtfully but Tonks interrupted and asked the elf how many of them were still around.

"There are t-twelve of us, mistress. Balder and Balder's wife has six children. One of Balder's daughters, Frigga is married to a fine elf, Odin. Balder has... two grandchildren now."

Tonks was delighted. She said twelve elves were more than enough for the construction. She ordered Balder to get his family ready to go to Potter Manor.

"And shall Balder and Balder's family return here after the construction?" the elf asked

"I reckon you would. Don't really have any use for a house-elf myself," Tonks replied. "I've got my own flat. I can take care on my own. Something I learned from my dad. I won't need your services after the construction."

There was a noticeable relief on the elf's face. Harry thought Lupin had a point. The elves probably liked living here alone without any cruel masters and mistresses. They were better off as they are taking care of the house. He resolved never to sell the castle.

"But one more thing," Tonks continued. "Is there another way to get out without going through the main way?"

"Mistress can use floo powder," Balder replied.

"You mean the castle's still connected to the floo network?" Hermione asked in a puzzled voice.

"Yes, miss."

"It's been connected all this time?" Hermione continued.

Balder looked flustered for a moment but nodded shyly.

"Well then, we have no problem getting back out then," Tonks said. "But let's settle down for a bit. We can go later. I'm beat and I need a lie in."

"Balder shall prepare rooms, mistress," he said hurriedly and he disappeared before Tonks could say anything.

For a long time they were left there to wait. Finally, a female, younger-looking elf appeared to say their rooms were prepared upstairs so they could take naps until they were set to leave this afternoon. She led them up the grand staircase into the west wing of the castle. There, they found a suite of rooms, fully furnished and lit with fires.

Ron and Harry gaped at the last room that was opened for them. It was as big as the Gryffindor Common Room and was elaborately decorated with the same old-style furniture as the rest of the house. A large canopy bed dominated the room and the cushions and blankets covering it looked inviting.

"Wow!" Ron said as he approached the fireplace to warm their hands. _"The Blacks may be horrid but they certainly have style, I give them that."_

"_It is beautiful. I suppose we could sit down for a bit. No harm in it."_

Harry and Ron moved to the bed and sat down. They were immediately lost in the relaxing soft cushions and blankets.

"_We could get a bit of sleep, Harry. I'm knackered and we could use—"_

There was a knock at their door and Hermione entered.

"Come on, let's go explore the castle," she said.

"Now?" Ron said, feeling extremely disappointed. "Can't it wait 'til later?"

"No. We won't have another chance." She looked around doubtfully at the portraits on the walls and lowered her voice. "I have a bad feeling about all this. Don't you think it's strange that no one's been living in this house for all these years and it still looks as if it's ready for guests?"

"So the house elves kept it that way," Ron said irritably. "What's strange about that?"

"Well I would expect the house to be a bit dusty or worn down like Grimmauld Place."

"Hermione, don't get all worked up," Ron said. "Kreacher was a bad elf. It doesn't mean all the other Black elves don't know to maintain a household. Besides there are twelve of them living here. They're bound to do a bit of cleaning."

"But what about the floo network then? Normally, if a certain place hasn't been used for flooing for so long, the Ministry cuts it off from the network. So how come this place is still connected?"

Ron gave her an exasperated look. "So the Ministry forgot? Honestly, Hermione give it a break. The Blacks are dead. Besides, Harry and I own the castle and Tonks owns the elves. What can they possibly do to us?"

Hermione gave a defeated sigh. "Guess I'm still a bit paranoid. But let's have a look around."

Harry and Ron groaned.

"Oh come on. You own the place. Don't you want to know what you own at least? And you Harry, don't you want to see the house that Sirius lived in during the winter?"

That got Harry convinced. He got up from the bed. _"Sorry mate, but she has a point."_

They started at their own corridor. It had a half a dozen bedrooms, all fully furnished and well-kept like their own rooms. The next floor on their same wing yielded the same thing with the addition of a couple of sitting rooms, a nursery, a school room and a passage to one of the towers. The tower was bare and cold and looked properly worn. It had windows that looked out into the open sea, glistening in the early afternoon sun. Harry and Ron took their time enjoying the view when Hermione called their attention to one of the walls.

"Look at this," she said. Harry and Ron leaned in for a closer look. Carved on the stone were the words: LORD REGULUS BLACK, NOBLE HEIR OF THE ANCIENT HOUSE OF BLACK. The words "OF BLACK" were crossed out with a line and another set of words were added in a different set of handwriting: "PUREBLOOD STIFF IDIOTS."

Harry laughed. "This must have been Sirius. Only he would call his family stiff idiots."

"Who's Regulus Black?" Ron asked.

"Sirius' younger brother," Harry replied. "He was a former Death Eater but he was killed on Voldemort's orders when he tried to back out. He was the favorite son after Sirius left when he was sixteen."

"Nothing more to see here. Let's check the east wing," Hermione said. They left the tower and went down until they found the floor where that connected to the opposite section of the castle. They found themselves in a corridor similar to their own wing, but the rooms there were locked and wouldn't open even with a spell.

"This must be the master's wing. I presume we are staying in the guest wing," Hermione said. "They must have a library here somewhere."

"_Trust Hermione to look for the library,"_ said Ron. _"When she finds it, I bet she's going to stay there all afternoon."_

Harry agreed but they followed her to the end of the corridor where a staircase going to the next floor was located. Suddenly, Hermione went running up the stairs.

"_What the bloody hell is she doing?" _Ron asked.

"_Maybe she's found the library. Come on, let's follow her."_

They climbed the stairs, two steps at a time and found themselves in a dark corridor lit only by Hermione's wand.

"What did you run like that for?" Ron asked.

"Shhh!" she whispered. "I thought I saw someone. I heard a door creak. It must have gone to the tower."

Harry and Ron lit their own wands and walked quietly up the corridor. Finally, they came to the door that led to the eastern tower. She pointed her wand to the handle of the door to open it when something popped in front of her.

"Miss should not be here!"

It was Balder. He was quivering slightly with fright.

"Who's up here Balder?" Hermione asked.

"No one, miss. But mistress' friends should not be here. Very dirty and old. Not fit for young wizard and witch."

"But I thought I saw someone run up here."

"It is Balder, miss. Balder likes to close up old rooms before leaving. But rooms is very dirty, not good for seeing. Come down to tea miss. Mistress Tonks is there at drawing room now." He tugged at Hermione's robe.

"Come on, Hermione. Let's go down. This place is dark anyway," Harry said.

"But I don't think—"

"It's just the elf," Ron said. "Come on, let's just go. The stuff here is probably the same as the other side. Just rooms and an old tower. Besides, it's freezing in here."

Hermione reluctantly walked back with them. They found Lupin and Tonks having tea in the drawing room. There were several elves assembled near the fire place waiting for orders. Hermione was immediately drawn to them.

"You're here," Lupin said. "Tonks had the elves ready. We'll be leaving after tea. Sit down and have a cup."

Harry and Ron eagerly took their tea but Hermione hardly touched hers. She was busy talking to the young elves that didn't reply but nodded or shook their heads at her questions.

When they were all set to go, Balder held out a large pot full of floo powder. Lupin went first followed by Hermione and the younger house-elves. Balder offered to go last after Harry and Ron. He looked sadly at the room as if he was missing it already.

"You will be alright after this Balder," Tonks reassured him as she entered the fireplace. "After the construction, you and your family can come back here and live. I'm sure Harry and Ron won't be selling the house and you do have a good life here without a master, right?"

Balder's eyes went wide but he hurriedly nodded.

"See you in Godric's Hollow then." Tonks took the floo powder and was gone. Harry and Ron got in after her.

"Godric's Hollow!" Harry shouted as he dropped the powder. He felt the familiar spinning, but before his vision of the Castle left he saw a strange sight: Balder was hitting himself with the pot of floo powder.


	13. Hermione's Decision

**Chapter Thirteen**

**Hermione's Decision**

"Immobilus!"

Harry instinctively jumped away from the spell and rolled over to the side before he sent his own spell followed by Ron's: "Tarantallegra!—Rictusempra!"

In a moment they were both staring at Lupin laughing uncontrollably on his stomach while doing a succession of quick steps in the air.

"Finite Incantatem!" Ron said. He offered a hand to the older wizard who sighed with defeat, but had a grin on his face.

"I give up! You two are too much for me. Your coordination is amazing. I don't know about Auror exams, but if it involves anything within the level of what you two have just shown, I have no doubt you'll ace them."

"Yeah! Harry and I are stone!" Ron exclaimed.

"_Huh?"_

Lupin gave him a puzzled look that matched Harry's question.

"You know that muggle expression that means we're great."

"Oh, you mean 'we rock!' It's 'rock.' It's not the same thing as stone."

"Whatever, Harry."

Lupin was still wearing a confused expression. He shook his head. "I lost you. I can never get what you're saying when you talk together. It's like watching a lunatic with a split personality. It's creepy."

Harry chuckled and Ron wheezed. It was an interesting laugh combination that made them choke and cough. Lupin raised an eyebrow before bursting into giggles himself. Harry had never heard Lupin sound this mirthful before and it was wonderful to see. He seemed more like a different man--playful, teasing--almost like Sirius. Harry supposed the atmosphere had something to do about it.

They had been spending the whole afternoon at Godric's Hollow, at the back lot of Potter Manor. He and Ron had been visiting the site at least once a day so Harry could oversee the construction. They didn't really need to as the elves could work on their own and Mickey was good enough to remember what the house looked like before. Even particular furnishings such as tapestries, curtains, furniture and pictures were taken care of by the elves. If they couldn't make the items themselves, the elves took care of the ordering of pieces from the proper merchants. Harry only needed to hand them enough gold to buy everything.

Harry, however, wanted to see the structure rise, so he still dropped by at the end of each day to watch their progress. Hermione tagged along each time so she could get to know the elves better. But as usual, the elves ignored her--even avoided her. After her second attempt to talk, she finally gave up trying. Harry and Ron hoped she had given up completely. These last few days, she seemed to fall back into her old reading habit.

This afternoon, however, Harry and Ron decided to spend some time longer in Godric's Hollow to practice on their spells in time for their Auror exams in three days. The Burrow's back yard was alright for practice, but they didn't want to risk Mrs. Weasley's wrath if they accidentally sent a spell the wrong way. Lupin was free and offered to help them. He quizzed them through the standard hexes and charms before engaging them in a duel to test their coordination. Hermione had begged off from the duel and said she needed to read and headed off somewhere away from spell-range.

Harry looked at his watch and noted that it was getting late. They should be home before dinner at the Burrow, but there was just enough time to check on the house and collect Hermione.

He gestured to Lupin to follow him and they walked to the already fully structured manor. They came into the freshly painted living room with its comfortable fireplace and newly installed divans that arrived just this morning.

"We should spend Christmas here," Harry said. "We can have a party with the whole family and the Order members."

Mickey appeared before them with a tray of drinks. "Master Harry like the colors?" she asked.

"Yes, it's very nice," Harry replied, while Ron grabbed a glass. They gulped the drink. "Looks like the Gryffindor Common Room, though not nearly as old."

"Master should see his room," Mickey said excitedly. "It is finished just now."

They followed the elf upstairs to the master bedroom. It was painted in crème with the wood paneling in gold. It had its own bath and a fireplace to ensure warmth and comfort. A large bed, desk and wardrobe were already installed, while bright red curtains were fitted on the large windows.

"It's amazing! It's just like it used to be," Lupin remarked. "This used to be James' room. We all hanged out in here when we weren't outside in the summer. Of course, it's a little different after he married, but the structure is just the same." He paused to touch something protruding on the wall. "The hangers. Good old Mickey remembered even where the broom hangers were." Lupin turned to them to explain. "Your father was so in love with his broom, he refused to remove it from his room even after your mother insisted on redecorating after she moved in. He had a Nimbus 1000—hey don't wince; it was the best broom back then. It used to hang right here."

"And that's where my Firebolt will hang," said Harry. "Along with Ron's Cleansweep. _A broom's a broom mate, should always be treated with the care, regardless of model."_

"_You wouldn't say that if you owned my old Shooting Star. That broom's only worth is for firewood." _

"Come, Master Harry, come see the next room," Mickey tugged at their robes. Harry, Ron and Lupin let themselves be led.

"What is a crib doing here?" Ron asked.

They had stepped into a smaller room fitted with blue wallpaper and decorated with baby toys in primary colors. There was a crib at the center, a cot and a chair beside it. The angle of the large windows made for extreme good lighting, even in the late afternoon sun. Moonlight would surely be no different.

"It's the nursery," Mickey said cheerfully. "Does Master remember? It used to be the baby's room."

"But we don't have a baby," Ron said. "What do we need it for?"

Harry flushed with warmth at the room.

"_Okay, Harry, I know you told Mickey to make it exactly as it was before your house got destroyed but do we really need this?" _

"_Oh let it go, Ron,"_ Harry replied. _"This used to be my room when I was a baby. Anyway we can change it if we need the room for something else, in the meantime let it stay as a nursery. It could be useful."_

"_For what?"_ Harry felt Ron tremble with sudden horror. _"You're not thinking of starting a family anytime soon, are you? You can't exactly do that without me."_

"_No, you dolt. Not me, are you crazy? I mean Bill might be getting married soon. He and Fleur seemed to be getting serious. If they come over for a visit, we'll have a playroom ready. In the meantime, I just like to see what my old room looked like as is."_

Harry knew it was ridiculous really to keep the nursery. But he wanted to look at it and imagine what it was like when he was young. He had always thought how his parents tucked him to bed each night. His mother had probably sung him lullabies from that chair, and his father must have leaned over his crib and told him stories. Here now was the real picture of it. This room was truly his—a missing piece of his childhood that had been locked away to be replaced by images of a cold, dark, spider-infested cupboard.

"Come on, let's go find Hermione and go home. Mum will be waiting with dinner,"Ron said.Harry gave one last glance back into the room, and turned away.

"_It means something to you, does it?" _Ron asked as they went down the stairs.

Harry didn't need to reply.

They found Hermione outside, sitting under a tree, intent on her reading.

"Time to go, Hermione," Ron called out. "Can't miss dinner at home."

"Hang on, just finishing a chapter," she replied without looking up.

Ron slowly approached Hermione and Harry could feel he was up to something. He took out his wand.

"Accio book!"

"Ron, I was reading that!" Hermione screamed as her book flew from her grasp and into Ron's hand.

Ron made an innocent face. "How dare you assume it was me! Harry could have cast that spell?"

"_Hey don't include me—"_

"_Relax, Harry. I think we have a few minutes left to do one last duel."_

"_Duel?"_

"_Just work with me okay. She'll be needing it, I promise."_

"I know it's you Ron because you're the only one who does these kinds of things."

"Oh, what kind of things?"

"This! Stealing my book when I'm at the good part just to annoy me. Now give back that book." She reached for it, but he raised it out of her reach.

"Uh-uh, Hermione. Not until you agree to one practice with us. Hey Professor, what do you say, one duel. You and Hermione against me and Harry right now!"

Lupin gave a thumbs-up sign.

"Ron, it's late. We should be going back," Hermione said.

"If you have time to finish a chapter, you have time to duel. Come on, you haven't been practicing any of the spells with us. You've done nothing but read all week. That's not going to help your future Auror career. What is this anyway?"

Ron turned the book over to check the cover. Harry could see it was a colorful book with Indian-looking scripts and illustrations.

"I thought you finished with this ages ago. You already taught Harry and me the spell to get Harry into a new body. What are you reading it again for?"

"It's not the same one, now give it back." Hermione cried.

"So you're into soul transferring now? What's next, a society to venerate dead souls?" Ron laughed at his own joke.

"For your information, Ronald Weasley, it's about Asian magic healing. It's something very few Western Wizards know about. I learned a bit from Dumbledore's book and I decided to learn more."

"Alright, but that shouldn't get that in the way of Auror practice. The exams are in three days. You should be focusing on that instead of some stupid Indian thingy."

"It's not a stupid Indian thing!" Hermione was shouting now.

"Well it's not more important that Auror exams," Ron sneered. "You may be brilliant Hermione, but you have to admit, you need practical application on your spells. How are you supposed to pass that part of the tests if you don't practice with us?"

"Well maybe I don't want to take those tests!"

Ron gaped at her.

"You're kidding right?" Harry asked. He knew Hermione was a bit hesitant to take the test, on account of the excitement on her other job offers, but he didn't think she wouldn't take the tests at all.

Hermione looked sadly at them and shook her head. "I'm sorry. I'm not going to take the Auror tests with you."

"But I thought we were going to be Aurors together," Ron said.

Hermione didn't reply.

"Uhm... do you mind if I go ahead?" Lupin said in almost a whisper. "I'll tell Molly to save you some dinner."

Harry nodded at him and was grateful for the privacy.

"Hermione?" Ron prodded.

"I'm sorry. I just don't think I can see myself fighting dark wizards for the rest of my life."

"But we've always been doing that," Ron argued. "It was always the three of us."

"That's just it," Hermione replied. "We've been doing that for years. I'm tired. I want a different life, a peaceful life where I can devote myself to discovering things that can help others. I fought because I had to, because our world was threatened. But now I don't have to fight anymore. Don't you see, it's time I did something else. I'm really interested in healing. I think I may have a shot at becoming one someday."

"And slave away in some hospital like St. Mungo's?" Ron bit back. "Or maybe you prefer to be a nurse like Madam Pomfrey and grow up as wrinkled and irritable as she is, barking at visitors when they do as much as breathe next to her patients. What an exciting job!"

"Better that and knowing I've helped saved lives than fighting in the field."

"Oh, so you think fighting in the field is a bad thing now!" Harry could feel Ron's anger starting to boil over again. But he didn't dare calm him down. He was just as hurt with Hermione's words.

"I'm not saying that! But I've seen what fighting forces you to do. You've seen what happened in the final battle. You've seen so many die. Well I've seen more! You don't know about that night. I saw so many people die—both friends and enemies. A lot of them died in hospital from their injuries that couldn't be helped. And it wasn't a quick death either, or a painless one. I don't want to be the one responsible for their pain--even if they deserved it."

She was sobbing now. Harry never knew she was as haunted of that incident as he was. Strangely, her response was different from his. He wanted to be an Auror so he could keep people suffering from others who want to do harm, while she refused to fight because it caused other people pain. It was a contradiction he never realized, nor he thought, he could completely understand.

"Not even Dolohov?" Ron asked.

"I was wrong to really wish him to suffer. That was just the initial thirst for revenge. But at least I know he's alive. But that is beside the point. I have this chance to do something. To learn things. Asian healing practices are almost unheard of in this part of our world yet they provide some remedies that could probably benefit us if we knew they existed."

"You can't solve all people's pain, Hermione," Harry said.

"But I could try! Harry, I saw you dead. I found your lifeless body and held it in my arms. Do you have any idea how that felt? I never want to go through that again. I don't want to feel so helpless when I know there was a chance I could find some cure somehow that could avoid such a situation like that again."

Harry still thought it was a futile attempt, but he didn't say it. Hermione was too upset for arguments right now and Ron decided not to say anything either. They drew her into comforting hug.

"_She'll change her mind, Harry," _said Ron.

"_Yeah, maybe,"_ Harry replied though he knew she wouldn't. And he knew Ron knew it too.


	14. Applications

**_A/N: I had trouble uploading this due to my server. Sorry it took so long to update. Merry Christmas to all_**

**_Disclaimer: I own nothing, not even the title. I borrowed it from another book._**

****

**Chapter Fourteen**

**Applications**

Ron remembered the first time he stepped into the Auror Headquarters. He was about six years old and he and Ginny had tagged along with their father to work. They had wandered around while their father wasn't looking and slipped past the room with several cubicles filled with busy wizards and witches. They had stared curiously at the cubicle walls filled with family photos and Quidditch team articles and posters until an employee found them and sent them back to a frantic Arthur.

Ron didn't see much change in the office he and Harry had just stepped into. The big difference now was that a lot of cubicles seemed empty. Ron knew this was because more than half of the Auror force had died in the war. The air too seemed a lot more subdued. The Aurors were busy as ever but they seemed to do their work silently.

But even the subdued atmosphere couldn't dampen Ron's excitement. He was finally going to take his Auror's test with his best friend—well one of them at least. He was disappointed that Hermione stood firm on her decision. After her revelation at Godric's Hollow, she left the Burrow after dinner to visit her parents. She had not been back since, though she promised in her latest owl she'd be back at the Weasley home to celebrate with them after their exams. She had complete confidence in their passing and that was at least comforting.

"_Where do you think we should go, Ron?"_ Harry asked. All the Aurors looked occupied and they didn't want to disturb any of them. They looked around and noticed a witch with purple hair. She turned around and smiled.

"Wotcher Ron!" Tonks greeted him. She moved closer. "And Harry," she whispered. "You're just in time," she added in her normal volume. "Here, you need to fill out these forms. There are a few applicants already." She went back to a whisper. "Best to fill it out in my cubicle so you'd have a bit of privacy. You two need to fill out one form each."

She led them to a cubicle with a messy desk. She swept some of the papers away with her wand to clear a space for them and summoned a chair for them to sit on. "When you're finished, go up to Chief Atalanta's office. She wants a word."

Ron and Harry sat down and made a quick survey of the cubicle. There was a list tacked to Tonk's board. Other cubicles seemed to have similar lists to their own boards. It had two columns. One was labeled "suspect" with a list of names of captured Death Eaters and right across was a column of dates—schedules of their trials. A lot of familiar names were there but one name managed to strike at Ron.

"_Bloody Dolohov! He just wouldn't die wouldn't he? He's scheduled for a trial today, wish we could be there to see. I hope they lock him up and make him do hard Muggle labor for the rest of his life."_

"_You're still at him for what he did to Hermione?"_

Ron bit his lip and glared at the name as if it was Dolohov himself. _"Hermione was wrong. He deserved whatever she threw at him that night. It wasn't just Hermione, you know. Did you know he killed my uncles? Gideon and Fabian Prewett were Mum's younger brothers. I never really met them, but Mum used to talk to me about them. Great Quidditch players, she said. Of course she was the best; she taught them everything she knew. Dolohov was said to be the leader of the group of Death Eaters that tortured them to death."_

"_Moody showed me a picture of them once. He said they fought like heroes."_

"_Yeah, they did. They were Aurors too you know. They were barely out of Auror Academy when they died. That's why Mum doesn't want me to be an Auror. She knows what she's risking."_

Ron thought about his Mum who lost two sons and two brothers in two wars. She must have had a million heartaches in all the years when her family—both the Prewett and the Weasley sides—risked their lives. He was beginning to understand why she mothered him and Harry so much.

Ron had thought about why he wanted to be an Auror. Well, apart from the status it carried and the adventure that he could find in the job, he knew there must be a better reason why he was getting into this. Harry had his reason with his guilt over deaths he still blamed himself as the cause. Hermione, he realized, didn't have a reason. And as much as he hated to admit defeat, that was why she refused to join them. But what about him? What was his reason?

Thinking about his mother now, he finally saw what purpose he had in this office right now, filling out Auror application forms. He didn't want to see anyone lose another family member again if he could help it by keeping people like Dolohov at bay—even if he had to put himself on the line to do it.

Harry broke his thoughts when he finished his form. They picked up the two forms and headed to an office at one end of the room. On the door was a nameplate: Andrea Atalanta: Chief Auror.

"Come in," a female voice called out before they could even knock.

Inside, they found Moody talking to a witch seated behind a desk. Her hair was streaked with gray and tied in a tight bun. She was slender and well-toned for her age and her expression told Harry and Ron that she was not one to be trifled with.

"Have a seat," she commanded. She looked them closely in the eye, as if assessing them.

"Potter and Weasley?"

They nodded at her, not sure what to make of this woman.

She folded her hands and without losing eye contact, began to speak:

"I am glad that you have accepted this opportunity to become part of the force. Moody tells me he has informed you about the special circumstances why we invited you in the Academy. I'd like to repeat however, that your admission is not final yet. I want to see for myself what you can do—your grades in Hogwarts notwithstanding. As you know, we only accept the best in the Academy."

They continued to nod in silence

"You will be taking your tests today with the other applicants, but you will be doing it a little differently. As Moody explained before, you will _both _be trained. We cannot do anything about your written exams, but all your practical exams will be evaluated separately." She raised an eyebrow at them as a warning. "We have provided means of tracking down your progress as individuals so don't think you can cheat your way out of every test by helping each other. You will also be undergoing specialized training to improve your potentials as a team. That is all, do you have any questions?"

They shook their head.

"Very well, you're dismissed. Follow the other applicants outside. Shacklebolt will guide you through the procedures. He has already been informed of your situation."

"Good luck Potter, Weasley," Moody said. Ron gave him an acknowledged nod before he and Harry went out.

"_Blast it! I thought we could get through this together," _Ron exclaimed.

"_Might as well. If we find me another body, we need to train individually anyway. At least they can't do anything about written exams, that's a plus on our side. She said we have to find Shacklebolt. You think Kingsley's related to him?"_

Ron shrugged. Kingsley Shacklebolt had been among those who died in the last battle. Ron hoped that this Shacklebolt would be just as nice as their old friend from the Order. It would certainly help settle their nerves if someone as kind as the old Auror would guide them through the exams.

They found the other applicants waiting at a bench just two cubicles away. There were around 20 people there. Ron found a familiar face.

"Alicia!" Ron called to the heavy young woman with dark hair. She looked up at him.

"Weasley! Hey, you're here too!" Alicia Spinnet exclaimed. Immediately, all conversation from the other applicants stopped and they turned to look at him. Ron expected them to turn away after a glance, but they didn't. They stared at him as if he was some curious creature. He noticed that Alicia too had been staring at him.

"What?" he asked.

"N-nothing," she said. "It's just that—your scar. I read about it in the Prophet but I didn't think it was so…"

"Ugly?" Ron challenged.

"No, it's not that. Just… big. I didn't think it was well… I assumed it was just like Harry's… Oh I'm sorry. I didn't mean to, about Harry."

"It's alright, Alicia," Harry said.

"Right. So you're here," she added, changing the subject.

"Yeah, and you too. I thought Aurors only accept fresh graduates."

"They used to. But they needed more trainees this year. I got an invite two years ago when I graduated but I turned it down to play pro with the Holyhead Harpies. This year, they re-invited all those who turned down their previous invites. I wanted a career change so I came here to give it a shot."

"Good, nice to know someone familiar."

"There a couple of people we know here too." She stood aside and Ron saw Padma Patil, Blaise Zabini and Terry Boot behind her. There were also two young men Ron recognized were in Hogwarts the same year as Fred and George.

"Hey Weasley," Zabini greeted. "Still aiming for some action, I see."

"_Slytherin git,"_ Ron muttered and Harry agreed. Blaise Zabini had been one of the few Slytherins in their year that joined the D.A. when it re-opened in sixth year. He also fought on the side of the Order on the final battle. It didn't, however, make him any less hostile to Harry and Ron.

"Sure I'm all for some action. Bring on what you got, Zabini," Ron replied.

"Fine way to greet each other, you two," Padma Patil interrupted. "Hey, Ron. Nice to see you again."

Ron shook her hand. Padma sounded cheerful enough, but Ron was remembering that this was the girl who had used a killing curse successfully. Perhaps all of these people had killed or caused some damage to another person. Harry's words echoed in Ron's mind: _"Who knows who else we managed to injure that night?" _Ron never bothered to find out if he had killed any Death Eaters. If he did, they deserved it, and it was not worth knowing. But it made Ron see something. These people lining up to be Aurors weren't exactly innocent. Like him, they had faced death and knew exactly what was expected of them in the line of duty, as he knew what was waiting for him and Harry as well should danger present itself.

A whooshing sound made them all look up to the ceiling. A misty figure appeared and settled right in front of them.

"Kingsley?" Harry gasped in shock.

Standing in front of them, grinning with amusement, was a spectre of a tall black man.

It was the ghost of Kingsley Shacklebolt.

_**A/N: For those of you who were wondering about the reference to the Prewetts, J.K. Rowling revealed in her website that Molly Weasley's maiden name is Prewett. In OotP there was a scene where Moody showed Harry a picture of the original Order. He mentioned Fabian and Gideon Prewett as brothers who died like heroes taken down by five Death Eaters. Also in Book 5, a caption under Dolohov's face that appeared with an article about the escape of the Death Eaters said Dolohov was convicted for the Prewett brothers' murders.**_

_**I've always been fascinated about Molly. She's a woman surrounded by her family of men yet she seems to be the dominant figure above all of them, even Arthur. I wanted to explore a more hidden side of her life. I like to imagine her as more than a housewife and mother. (If you noticed in a previous chapter, I gave her a possible alternative career). I've also thought about a chapter in OotP titled "The Woes of Mrs. Weasley" where showed her fear of losing her sons. I thought about the Prewett murders and realized that Molly may have been a more scarred person than she appears. She's really one of the strongest women in the HP world and I think Ginny has a great role model in her.**_

_**This chapter is dedicated to Molly and all strong women out there.**_


	15. Auror's Exams

**Chapter Fifteen**

**Auror Exams**

Ron's brain hadn't been this exhausted since taking his N.E.W.T.s. Chief Atalanta wasn't kidding when she said they only accepted the best in the Academy. The written exams were so tough he knew he would fail it if Harry wasn't there to help him. Not that Harry was any better than him at theoretical tests, but at least the two of them combined could level off a passing score, particularly in potions.

A bell sounded indicating the end of the written exams. Ron reluctantly lowered their pen. Their recipe for Veritaserum was still incomplete and would most likely kill someone if they were asked to perform it using the combination of ingredients they wrote down.

"_At least we got the formula for Polyjuice Potion_ _and Wolfsbane_ _right. That's got to be worth something,"_ Harry reassured. _"And there's still the practical part. I'm sure we can do well in that."_

"_Yeah, let's just hope we do. Because if we don't, I reckon we better start looking for alternative careers. That broom tester offer is beginning to look enticing. I wish Hermione was sharing my body with us."_

Harry flushed and Ron realized what he said could be horribly misconstrued.

"_Don't ever say that again."_

"_I didn't mean—oh hell, Potter. That's not what I meant." _Awful images were running through his mind and his own embarrassment combined with Harry's initial one made him twice as uncomfortable. He didn't want to know what Harry was thinking about just that moment. He turned his attention back to Shacklebolt's ghost.

"Now that you've finished your written tests, we're going to the second part of this examination. We will be testing your knowledge and skills of spells as well as your abilities to handle tight situations. You will be flooing in to the testing room at the Auror Academy. Follow me please."

Ron and Harry made their way up front, nearest to Shacklebolt. "Hey Kingsley," Ron said. "I never got to ask how you ended up like this."

Shacklebolt chuckled. "I think it's pretty simple; I died."

"No, I mean, you're a ghost. You never told us and you've never even come to see us."

"Well, after I died, I chose to stay as a ghost. I loved being an Auror so much I didn't want to leave. I couldn't go on field anymore, but I'm in charge of training new recruits and that's good enough for me. I can't go beyond Auror Academy and the Auror Headquarters. Ministry hasn't approved my wandering pass yet—it's a regulation for all spirits. My request is still buried in the Spirit Division. You know red tape, bureaucracy and everything. But when I get it, I'll be sure to visit. Heard you have a new house coming along."

"Yeah, Godric's Hollow," Harry replied. "We're moving in today after exams. Come over when you can."

"Glad to. Now here we are." They stopped in front of several fireplaces. Shacklebolt turned to face the applicants. "Just say 'Auror Academy.' I'll meet you there."

Ron and Harry got into the fireplace and did as they were told. They landed at a large bare room that contained only a reception desk with a witch behind it and several hard benches along the walls. There was a pair of large doors near the reception desk and there were large windows that opened up to a view of an open field.

They peered outside and watched a group of young witches and wizards running around an oval track. A distance away, they could see another group flying on broomsticks in a tight formation. Suddenly, the group was shot with spells from ground but they stuck to their clustered position. There was an answer of spells from their target but the flying group moved as one, shooting back a combination of spells.

"Ah, group flying attack," said Shacklebolt who appeared behind them. "You'll get to that eventually."

They waited for the rest of the applicants to arrive before Shacklebolt floated near the closed double doors and turned to them again.

"You will now be entering the testing room where you will be encountering challenges to test your practical skills. You have at most three hours to finish it to pass. I will be sending you in one by one, five minutes apart from each other. The room is enchanted with sensors to lock into your magical signatures so we know who is performing what spell." He looked at Ron and Harry. Ron understood. They would know whether it was he or Harry who was performing the spell during the course of the exam.

"You will also be monitored visually by the faculty who will be evaluating you. I'll give you five minutes to relax and get ready. Ron, a word please."

Ron followed Shacklebolt aside.

"Harry, Ron, since there are two of you, you have to do an extra exam after this. It's going to test you individually. Stay behind after I dismiss the other applicants."

"Okay," Harry answered.

"Good, in this round, you can work as a team. Chief Atalanta wants to see what you can do together. But you will still be evaluated separately according to the spells you perform. Are we clear on that?"

"Sure," Ron replied unenthusiastically.

"You'll do fine," Shacklebolt assured. "Though you might want to postpone moving into that new house of yours until tomorrow. After this round of exams, you might prefer to just crawl into bed when you get home," he added before floating away.

"_Oh that's really reassuring," _Ron muttered.

"Get ready!" Shacklebolt called to the applicants. "When I call your name, you are to enter these doors. You will be initially asked to perform a lighting charm so we'll have a sample of your magical signature before proceeding to the tasks."

The girl at the reception desk floated a parchment at Shacklebolt's eye level. "Blake, Oswald."

One of the boys Ron recognized earlier as Fred's and George's classmate nervously stepped forward in front of the double doors. He waited for them to open. He looked at Shacklebolt. The ghost gave him a blank expression.

"Uhm… aren't they supposed to open for me?" he asked.

Shacklebolt shook his head. "Don't expect everything handled to you in a silver platter, Mr. Blake. Something you should learn if you want to be an Auror."

The boy looked confused. He stared at the doors. There were no door knobs or handles anywhere. He pushed at them but they refused to budge.

"You're wasting your time," Shacklebolt admonished.

Blake looked around him, pleading at his co-applicants what to do. The receptionist witch was giving him an amused look and she began tapping her wand on her desk. The boy finally got the hint. He got out his own wand.

"Alohomora!"

The doors opened and the boy looked embarrassed.

"That's two minutes of your time; I'm sending the next person in three. You might want to make a move on," the ghost said.

Blake turned a deeper shade of red and took off running in. The doors closed behind him.

"Boot, get ready. The rest of you sit down until I call you."

Ron sat between Alicia and Padma. Both girls didn't seem to want to talk so he took his time to observe the other applicants, who mostly glanced at his direction when they thought he wasn't looking or whispered together. A few months ago, he probably would have welcomed the attention, but now he was slightly annoyed by it. His reputation as "the-Boy-who-Survived" wasn't exactly flattering knowing what scars—both the physical one and the emotional wounds—he received to get it.

He concentrated on looking for familiar faces. There were a couple of people there whom he vaguely knew as old Hogwarts students a few years ahead of him. There was even a young man he remembered he'd seen as among the Durmstrang students who visited in his fourth year. But there were people his age he had never seen before. He figured they probably went to some other wizarding schools outside Britain.

"Boot, Terry," Shacklebolt called. Everybody turned to Terry who jumped up front, shouted the spell and was in, in less than five seconds. The doors closed again and everybody seemed to breathe easier.

Ron felt a prickly feeling up his neck. He looked around and locked eyes with a dark haired boy he didn't know. He expected the boy to turn away and look guilty for staring at him. But he kept matching Ron's stare, as if challenging him.

"_Who the hell is that?"_ Harry asked.

"_No idea, but he doesn't seem like the good type. He reminds me of Malfoy."_

"Psst, Padma. He's looking here," Ron heard Alicia whisper over his shoulder.

Padma leaned behind him to whisper back. "Don't make it too obvious. You think he's looking at one of us?"

Ron and Harry both rolled their eyes_. Girls. _

"_Maybe he's not looking at us. I think he's checking out Padma or Alicia,"_ Harry suggested.

Ron turned and met the boy's gaze again. _"If he is then why does he keep staring in our direction?"_

"He's gorgeous. Where do you think he comes from?" Alicia asked.

Padma let out a giggle. Ron gave her an annoyed look, but she slapped his shoulder and whispered to him. "Pretend you're talking to me." She leaned closer to him but her words were for Alicia. "I talked to one of the French girls over there—Madeleine. She says he went to Beauxbatons with her. He was top student in his year, probably the best in the last decade. I didn't quite catch his name though."

"de Lancre, Orion Pierre," Shacklebolt called.

The mysterious boy calmly stood up. He continued to stare at Ron while he walked to the doors and confidently shouted the spell. He gave Ron a smug look before disappearing into the room.

"_The slimy git is really asking for it!" _Ron exclaimed.

"_Save it. Maybe we'll meet him inside. Then we can see what he can do."_

"_I can barely wait."_

They waited for what seemed like an eternity. One by one, the other applicants were called. Finally it was only them and Zabini that were left. Ron had completely forgotten about the other arrogant prat.

"Weasley, Ronald Bilius. Zabini, stand by."

"See you in a few, Weasley," Zabini taunted.

Ron gave him a smirk. He knew anything Zabini could throw at him, he could counter. Zabini may be a fairly good wizard, but he had seen enough of his dueling styles at the D.A. to know he could take him down easily.

"Alohomora!" Harry shouted and the doors opened to them. They went inside and found themselves in a small room with a door at the other end.

"Kindly cast a lighting charm," a pleasant female voice said out of nowhere.

"Lumos!" Ron and Harry said in unison. Their wands glowed together.

"Your signatures have been identified. Please proceed," the voice instructed.

They walked towards the second set of doors and were about to shout another spell when a piece of parchment appeared on the door:

TO: Harry James Potter/Ronald Bilius Weasley

ASSIGNMENT: Your mission is to find an entrapped person within the room and bring that person out safely with you. You will know it by the symbol Φ that will appear on the person's forehead when you encounter him/her. Go through whatever challenges you will meet to get that person out and perform them according to your own judgment of each situation. You have 02:58:23 left to finish this task.

The parchment folded itself and disappeared. The doors opened for them.

They stepped into a long dimly-lit hallway of what appeared to be a well-furnished house. It reminded Ron of the interior of those Muggle palaces in the seventeenth century that he saw in a picture of a Muggle magazine his father once brought home. It was complete with plush red draperies drawn with gold tassels, hardwood tables adorned with oriental vases full of flowers, shiny mirrors and framed pictures of landscapes that kept changing their weather.

"_Looks like the interior decorator has a fondness for Muggle palaces," _Harry said. _"I think the entire room's an entire house and we have to find that person we're looking for. It's probably some sort of a maze."_

"_Maybe it's like that trip we had finding the Philosopher's Stone. We open doors to challenges and then we move on."_

There was nowhere to go but forward until they reached a part where the hallway split in three directions.

"_What now?" _Ron asked. _"This is eerily looking like the attack at the Riddle House."_

"_Don't remind me. Actually I prefer to think of it as the combination of the second and third tasks of the Triwizard Tournament. We have to find a hostage through a maze and get out with him or her. I don't think anyone's likely to die in this test."_

"_Let's just hope it's not a combination of all **three** tasks in the Triwizard Tournament. I'm not fancying a run with a dragon. So, decisions? Left or right, Harry?"_

"_Let's try right."_

They stepped to the right and something heavy began moving behind them. They turned to see that an iron gate suddenly appeared from the ceiling, effectively closing them within this corridor. Harry dived behind a large chair. Shots of light flew to the direction where they were a split-second ago.

"Protego!" Harry shouted. Hexes safely bounced off them. _"I think we just walked into an ambush!"_

"_Hold the spell, Harry. I'll see where the spells are coming from then I'll attack."_

They slowly walked forward, with Harry sustaining the spell. Ron glanced around trying to see where the shots were coming from. There didn't seem to be anyone around, the spells were coming from the walls, one on each side of the corridor. Then he realized the paintings were shooting at them.

"_When I say go, Harry, let down the spell and get ready to duck and shoot at pictures on the walls. Ready…Go!"_

"Incendio! Incendio!" Ron let out on each corner before ducking down. Harry got the idea and started blasting it a second time with reductor curses. There were still a couple of shots firing at them. They dodged each one, hiding occasionally behind pieces of furniture. Ron took notice of where each spell was coming from and aimed his own spells at them. Finally, the corridor was silent.

"_You think that's it?"_ Harry asked.

Ron thought for a moment. His found a large painted vase on the table where they were hiding. He grabbed it and hurled it in the air. A blast came from the end of the corridor, shattering the vase before it hit the ground.

"_Definitely not. _INCENDIO!"

The corridor was silent again. Ron grabbed what looked like a memorabilia plate that stood next to the vase he just destroyed and tossed it. It crashed into the ground without interruption. He moved forward into the next nearest table and grabbed another vase and did with it the same way with the first two ceramics he encountered. It broke on its own. He found another item, this time it was a delicate figurine of a young witch.

"_Ron, I think that's enough."_

Ron hurled the dainty object anyway and watched it fall to the ground with a loud shatter. _"Just making sure, Harry. I don't want to be a human target."_

"_Well you made a mess out of it. I don't think destroying property counts as extra points on our side." _

"_Well at least we didn't get scratched. They could really dock points from us for that. Come on, our time's running."_

They made their way onward and came upon three closed doors.

"_Which one?" _Harry asked.

Ron threw a spell on the first door to make it transparent. After their first encounter with a direct assault, he didn't want to go barging in blind.

"_Looks like the potions classroom, lots of bottles in there," _Harry said. _"I think we may have to make a potion in that one. With our potion skills, we might just kill ourselves if we have to drink it."_

"_Moving on then." _Ron checked the second door. _"Can't see anything. It's hard to see past the mist. Don't know what that is. Third door."_

There was some kind of blue light flitting around inside the third door. Ron realized it was Pixies. It looked like the easiest one.

They opened the door and shouted "Immobilus!" as soon as they entered. The Pixies froze in the air.

"_That was pretty easy, _Oww!"

Something pricked at them from the ground and in a moment Ron felt himself trip. His face hit the floor and he focused on something that stared up at his nose. It looked like a Pixie but this one didn't have wings.

"_Imps!" _Harry said. _"They're trying to steal our wands." _One imp caught them off guard and made off with both their wands. But Harry was quicker. "Accio Wands!"

Ron was grateful for Harry's ability to do wandless magic. They got their wands back and in seconds they managed to immobilize all the imps.

"Help!" someone called from the end of the room. Ron and Harry raced to it, hoping it was the wizard they needed to rescue. They found the Blake boy tied upside down to the wall.

"I'm glad you're here. Cut me loose will you. Those damn imps took off with my wand and tied me here. I couldn't see past the Pixies."

"_Are we supposed to help?" _Ron reasoned. _"We're wasting time as it is."_

"_Well, we can't just leave him here."_

"_There you go again, Potter. Going heroic."_

"_Hey, last time I did that, I was displaying moral fiber."_

"_Okay, okay. Moral fiber it is. _ Evanesco!" The ropes that held Blake's legs disappeared and he dropped to the ground.

"Thanks," he said. He looked a mess with his robes slightly burned and his hair a little singed. He retrieved his wand from a corner where the imps had disposed of it.

"Now, where to?" Ron asked.

"This room is a dead end," Blake said. "We have to go back and choose another door."

"Oh great," Ron muttered. They ran together outside.

"Second door's mystery mist, first one is potions. I'm taking second," Ron announced.

"How do you know?" Blake asked.

"Just trust me."

"I'm taking the potions," Blake announced. "Sorry, don't want to risk something unknown." He entered the first door.

"_Ungrateful prat! He could have at least backed us up."_

"_Maybe it's better this way," _Harry suggested._ "He may be more of a liability than an asset when we have to watch his back. He couldn't even handle Pixies."_

They entered the middle door and walked into the mist. Suddenly Ron was standing upside down.

"_Relax, Ron. I've encountered this before during the third task. We just walk straight on and everything goes to normal."_

They slowly moved one foot forward. Ron's vision quickly righted itself up… before they fell into deep water.

Ron kicked until his head pushed above the water.

"_IS WALKING INTO A LAKE PART OF EVERYTHING GOING BACK TO NORMAL?!"_ Ron criticized.

"_Err… no. The part about the world turning itself back up was. But this water is pretty new to me too."_

"_Perfect! How do we get out of this one?" _

They heard a sound that resembled a horse's neigh. Ron looked behind and saw there was a beautiful white horse with its head rising above the water. It stared at them as if inviting them to ride.

"_You think it can carry us out of here?" _

"_I'm not sure Ron, it sounds fishy. What is a horse doing here anyway?"_

The horse approached them and gave another friendly neigh. Ron slowly put a hand on its snout. It seemed to like his touch.

"_Looks okay to me, Harry. Shall we?"_

"_Alright."_

They grasped the neck of the horse and hoisted themselves up on its back. There was a sudden splash next to them and Alicia's head bobbled up.

"Oi! Alicia! I found a horse. I think it can take us out to the end of the lake, right there."

Alicia looked at them and terror came into her face. "Ron, no! That's a—"

They never heard what it was, for the horse suddenly dove. Caught off guard, Ron fought to breathe but his lungs were bursting with the sudden intake of water. He was about to succumb to unconsciousness when he felt a tug and the horse was slowly lifted up to the surface. His head burst into the air and he gasped and coughed.

"Are you okay?" Alicia was holding the end of the bridle, the other end she managed to tie around the horse's neck.

Ron let out one last cough. "What is this thing?"

"It's a Kelpie. It disguises itself as a horse to fool it's victims before it dives at the bottom of the water so it can consume them and let their entrails float to the surface."

Ron and Harry looked at her with horror and let themselves off the creature's back.

"It's alright now. I tamed it. You just have to put a bridle on its neck and a placement charm. Lucky I got it lassoed just in time. We can ride it now."

She drew closer to the horse and hoisted herself up. He offered Ron a hand. Ron looked doubtfully at her but got on. The Kelpie slowly moved forward. When they reached the end of the lake, they jumped off the creature. Alicia released it from the bridle she conjured and it disappeared underneath the waves.

"Thanks a lot," Harry said to her as he dried them with a charm. "How are you doing?"

"I'm okay. I'm supposed to look for this enchanted book and bring it out safely. What do you need to do?"

"You mean we have different tasks?" Ron asked.

"Yup," said Alicia. "I met Padma along the way. She's supposed to get a feather from a golden Fwooper."

"That's easy. I need to rescue someone and I don't know who he is."

They entered another closed door and found themselves in what appeared to be a broom closet blocked by walls on all sides.

"Not another dead end!"

"No, look up there," Alicia pointed.

About a hundred feet above them was an opening that led to the upper floor. Harry looked around them and found a couple of broomsticks laid at one side.

They turned to Alicia. "Race you?"

"You're on, Weasley!"

They chose a broomstick each and kicked off hard. In seconds they reached the top floor. One side of the floor was closed with an iron gate, but the other, separated by the tiny room they just flew in from, had another set of three closed doors.

Ron cast the transparency charm on each door. The first revealed a room full of animals, Alicia said was Fwoopers. The second, to her delight, was a library. The third revealed nothing but darkness.

"I'm going through the middle," Alicia said. "Are you coming with me?"

"_What do you think, Ron?"_

"_Well we know of the first two doors. Most likely the items each of us are looking for are in a separate room. Shall we have a bit of adventure and try the third?"_

"_I'm game if you are, Weasley."_

"I'll go to the third. My hostage might be there."

Alicia nodded. "Good luck then!" She disappeared behind her door.

They stepped cautiously inside door number three. For several moments there was nothing there but darkness. Suddenly, Ron saw something in front of him. Somebody was lying on the ground.

Ron ran to it and turned it around, expecting it was their hostage. But when he turned to look at the face, he stepped back in shock.

It was Harry. But this was the Harry he saw dead in the graveyard in Little Hangleton.

"_Harry?"_

No response.

But then something was happening at the Harry in front of him. It was changing. The hair was turning to red, the nose was growing longer and the glasses disappeared. It became him.

"_Harry, please answer me! Are you there?"_

"_Ron, I'm here. I think it's a boggart and it's confused."_

"_What do we do?"_

"_I've got an idea. Think of it turning into you. I'll imagine it looking like me. We do the spell together."_

"_What do you mean?"_

"_Just do it."_

"Riddikulus!" they said together.

The dead image of Ron began to change. The hair turned black and the body grew shorter. Ron saw that the dead body was turning into Harry again. He got the idea and thought of it as something that looked like him. The body stopped short of changing fully into Harry. It turned into something that had Harry's face with a long nose, half-black, half-red hair and lots of freckles. The image looked so funny he laughed and at the same instant, he felt the Harry in him laugh along.

The body disappeared and torches began to light. A new door opened.

"_Merlin's beard, Ron, that was creepy."_

"_Yeah, well at least we know one thing. We look awful when we combine our features." _

They exited the boggart room and found themselves staring at a large staircase that led down one floor below into an enormous hall. Beyond the hall was a pair of doors that opened to a bridge outside where they could see Chief Atalanta waiting for them. But right below, there was a great level of activity. Around seven Aurors were there, two of them battling it out with two of the applicants. The other five had their wands out but were standing around watching and did not seem to want to interfere at all.

"_Harry, they didn't tell us we have to get past the Aurors themselves!"_

There were footsteps behind them and they found Alicia and two others—a strawberry blonde girl and a tall boy with sandy brown hair that Harry recognized as an older Hufflepuff—appear from three of the dozen doors that were behind them.

"What's going on?" Alicia asked. "Are we supposed to…?"

"Zat door leads outside to ze end of ze room, we 'ave to pass ze Aurors," the girl said in a thickly French accent.

"So we have to duel then," Harry said. They watched as a figure suddenly appeared from a floor below them and came barging in head on. One of the Aurors idly standing went on the alert and met the attacker. The fierce applicant sent two spells with such speed, they didn't even register what they were. It sent the Auror who was about to meet him sprawling to the ground ten feet away. The other Aurors let him pass.

The successful applicant paused at the door and turned around. Even though from his vantage point, Ron knew that person couldn't see them, he looked straight to where Harry and Ron were standing and gave them a superior gloat.

"It's Orion," said the French girl. "I zink he's ze first to get out. As uzual," she added in a tone of admiration that wasn't lost on Harry and Ron. They resolved not to be beaten by the bigheaded git.

He watched as one of the applicants battling down there got disarmed. His Auror opponent stood and tossed him his wand back and they started again.

"I think we only need to disarm one of them," Alicia said. "They'd let us go if we do, but they'll give us another chance if we get disarmed, maybe they'll just dock points. How many tries do you think we get?"

The boy who got disarmed earlier got another blast from his Auror opponent. This time, he was fully knocked off. He was levitated away.

"Okay, so maybe we get a chance until we get knocked out," said Alicia as she tapped at the book she was carrying and shrank it to fit in her pocket. Ron suddenly remembered something.

"_Harry, we haven't got our hostage yet. I think everybody else got their assignments but we haven't got ours!"_

"_You think we should go back? I mean if we go through that duel we're ending the test and we haven't completed our mission."_

"What in the world is he doing?"Alicia was pointing at someone below them. Ron saw that it was Zabini. He was using some sort of sticking charm so he could crawl on all fours against the wall. That part of the hall wasn't lit so none of the Aurors below could see him.

"I think he's trying to avoid going through a duel with the Aurors. He's crawling his way out, the cheating scum!" cried the Hufflepuff uffHHuboy.

But Harry and Ron weren't listening anymore. They were staring wide-eyed at Zabini. There, right on his forehead was the glowing symbol they were looking for.

"_Zabini's the one we're supposed to rescue?!"_

"_I guess. It's on his head isn't it," _Harry said.

"_But that can't be right. Why him?"_

"_The Aurors probably planned it to be one of the other applicants. Maybe we were supposed to help someone who can't get out. They are monitoring us visually. Maybe they saw him looking stupid up there and decided to let us get him out of cheating."_

"_Whoever planned this has a horrible sense of humor. So how do we get to the little lizard?"_

"I'm going out there," Alicia announced. "Hey, maybe we can synchronize attack. That will give us the advantage even for a few seconds. They can't really see us from here, so we can surprise them. Everybody got what they were assigned to get?"

The boy and the girl nodded and looked expectantly at him.

"I have to get him," Ron said pointing to Zabini who was looking really ridiculous now as struggled to hold on to the wall and be as quiet as possible.

Alicia and the two others giggled. "You're kidding, right?" Alicia asked.

"Nope," said Harry. "See that glowing thing that just appeared on his forehead. It's the sign I have to find. He's the one."

"I don't know how you're going to persuade him to get off the wall," Alicia laughed.

"Don't worry, I can handle this," Ron said. A plan was already forming in his mind. This was just like chess. It entailed strategy and the right moves to accomplish it. "Just do me a favor. Let's go in at once. Let's agree to lock on one Auror each. We barge in fast so we can confuse them a bit. After that, we're on our own."

The other three nodded.

They discussed which Aurors they were taking down. Ron chose the one nearest to the wall where Zabini was still struggling to hang on to.

"_Okay Harry. You're better at me in dueling. When we go in, you start shooting. I'm going to un-stick our slimy friend and cause him to fall down. You go on offensive; I do defense and cover his pathetic back."_

"_Got it, mate."_

"Are we ready?" Alicia said. "Let's go!"

They came barreling down with shouts even the Aurors were caught off-guard. But they quickly recovered and blocked their spells. Ron undid whatever spell Zabini was using and caused him to fall smack in front of another Auror. Ron threw him a protection spell just in time. Harry, on the other hand, managed to knock out his opponent with his initial wave of spells. What they didn't count on was that two Aurors were sent to deal with them instead of one. Even with Harry defeating one Auror, they still had to duel with two others—Zabini's and the second Auror meant for them.

"Expelliarmus!" Harry shouted to his Auror. The words were hardly out of their mouth when Ron muttered "Stupefy!" at the other Auror. Both Aurors dodged their spells and seemed to reach a silent agreement to team up against them.

They dodged a trip jinx and sent two spells in two different directions. Harry's furnunculus hex managed to hit home but it didn't disarm the Auror. Ron managed to put up a protection spell in time to bounce off two nasty hexes.

"_We can't win this way. We can't get to Zabini and hold them off at the same time," _said Harry. _"I've got an idea. Buy me time with that protection spell. I need to transfigure something."_

Ron intensified the hold of the Protego charm. Harry summoned a small metallic object that looked to be a part of the hall décor. He tapped his wand on it and it transformed into a pair of dark glasses.

"_Ron, I'm putting these on. When I shout a spell, hit both Aurors with stunners, summon Zabini and we run like hell out._

Ron didn't exactly know what Harry was getting at but he took note of where each Auror was located. Harry put on the glasses and his vision grew dark for a second before Harry shouted a spell:

"LUMOS SOLER!"

Everything went white. Calculating the last location where the two Aurors were, Ron sent stupefying charms in their direction. He summoned Zabini and they took off running, dragging the complaining Slytherin sliding forward on the floor. The darkened glasses made them see a little better than everyone else so they were able to pass between frantic Aurors, struggling blindly to find them.

They passed through the enormous doors and stepped on the bridge. It was only then that they loosened their spells.

The Aurors looked around in confusion for them, along with the other applicants who seemed to have forgotten they were dueling for their future careers.

"Over here!" Ron shouted at them from the bridge. Several faces turned to them in surprise. He recognized one of his Auror opponents, the one covered in fur.

"_I think you missed that one, Ron."_

"STUPEFY!" A jet of light flew from somewhere near their feet. It hit the half-dazed Auror, who dropped to the ground, unconscious. Ron looked down to see Zabini lying on his stomach, his wand raised. He beamed stupidly, before passing out.

"_The slimy git just managed to disarm an Auror!" _Ron cried incredulously.

"_But not without our help. The little wanker, couldn't possibly pass with his cheating—" _

Harry's rant was interrupted by the sound of applause. They turned around to find Alicia, and the two other applicants they met at the staircase standing at the other end of the bridge cheering them on. They parted to allow Chief Atalanta and Moody up front.

If it were possible, Ron could swear his and Harry's grin could reach the tips of their ears. Harry levitated Zabini and deposited him unceremoniously at the Chief Auror's feet.

"Here's the person you wanted," Ron announced. "Delivered safely out of there as ordered—though a bit bruised and battered."

Chief Atalanta looked at them with an expression that did not reveal any sign of her being impressed with them at all. Ron and Harry's grin melted.

"Very unorthodox, I might say," she said evenly.

Now they were worried. What did they do wrong?

"I expect however," she continued without changing her tone. "That by the end of your training from Auror Academy, you will learn not to manhandle the people you rescue or destroy any more property than necessary."

She made a hand signal as indication that they were dismissed to join Shacklebolt who was already ushering the other successful applicants out of the room. They slowly walked away, half-puzzled, half-guilty—then it sank in.

"_Did she just say by the **end **of **our** training?" _they both asked. The grin was back.

"_Harry, we did it! We're in!"_

"_Yeah," _Harry rejoiced. "_I believe we did."_


	16. Old Acquaintances, New Friends

**Chapter Sixteen**

**New Acquaintances, Old Friends**

The second set of practical tests made exclusively for Harry and Ron were more of a formality than a real assessment of their abilities. It was a simple one-on-one duel that they each undertook as individuals with one of the Aurors. It wasn't too hard. They didn't even need to disarm the Auror. They only had to make sure that they could battle it out without being knocked unconscious for five minutes each. Their Auror opponent didn't even try to make it difficult. Apparently, Chief Atalanta had already given her decision.

"Congratulations, you did well," Shacklebolt praised when he floated by where they were resting on a bench at the reception area.

"Thanks," Harry replied. "But that was exhausting."

"Get used to it," Shacklebolt said. "When you get to training, you'll find yourselves feeling that way almost everyday."

"Is it worth it?" Ron asked, taking a swig from a jug of water the receptionist handed them after their last duel.

"Sure, it's worth it. It's a real adventure, if you're that kind of person, which I think you both are considering how many times I heard you got yourselves into trouble before. By the way, Chief already posted the exam results. You don't need to know about yours but you may want to see who else got in. Normally, we don't tell anyone until we owl the people who passed, but since no one's around, it might not hurt for you two to take an advance peek. Consider it a treat," he added with a wink.

They followed Shacklebolt to a bulletin board that they hadn't noticed before. There was a list of around ten people there.

"Blake made it?" Harry asked, surprised.

"Barely," Shacklebolt said. "He got out eight seconds before his time was up. After he got stuck with the Pixies, he boiled two wrong potions before he got the right one. He came out with a cottontail and whiskers. But at least he got out. There were others who broke down half-way through the test. One applicant didn't even get past the second door. She was so nervous she gave up when she set foot inside the testing room."

Harry could just imagine Blake looking like a bunny. He and Ron laughed and he knew Ron was thinking of the same thing. They stared back at the list. Terry, Padma and Alicia were all there. Harry didn't see his name, but Ron's was there. But what surprised him was the name underneath Ron's.

"What is Zabini doing here?"

"He passed," Shacklebolt replied matter-of-factly.

"WHAT?!" they both said. "But he cheated and we had to get him out!" Ron added.

"He didn't exactly cheat," the Auror ghost explained. "That test was designed not only to check your abilities but also to see how you would handle a situation. Most of you chose direct confrontation with the Aurors, he chose stealth. One way or another could get you out. He managed to get the object he was ordered to retrieve, he performed all challenges he encountered and he got out within the time limit. He also managed to knock-down an Auror, though he didn't need to—that's extra points for him."

"But why send us to get him?" Ron argued.

"Amazing what the Auror Academy faculty could think of, isn't it?" he sniggered. "You have to understand that when you go out into the field, there are no set rules. You manage with what resources you have according to the circumstances. The important thing is to accomplish what you were ordered to do with the least disadvantages to yourself or the people around you. Sometimes you need help--if I may remind you, you did get some from Miss Spinnet when you got in a fix with that Kelpie."

Harry and Ron reddened.

"Nothing to be ashamed of, it happens. You did assist Mr. Blake, too. If it weren't for you, he could have failed. And that group attack with Spinnet, Madeleine Dindarte and John Dee turned to your mutual advantage. When we say we only take the best people, we not only look for ability, we check to see that you don't crack under pressure. We can't have Aurors who turn to mush when it comes to a real battle. Likewise, we want people who could think quickly out of a problem and know how to work as a team. You can't all be like Orion de Lancre."

"de Lancre? Isn't he that arrogant prat from Beauxbatons?" Harry asked.

"Prat isn't really what I'd call him. But yes, he's from Beauxbatons. He got out first and got the most points. Amazing really. I've never seen anyone like him. He's fast, he's accurate--he even perfected the written exams. They were right when they said he's the best in Beauxbatons. He graduated the same year that you two did. I've heard the French Ministry wanted him in their own Auror force, but he moved here."

"Well, he's so full of it!" Ron muttered through clenched teeth.

"Come off it, you two could use some healthy competition. If you must know, you came in second. It's just a couple points down from him and it had something to do with a really deadly Veritaserum formula and too many broken pieces of pottery."

"Oh yeah, that," Ron admitted.

"Well, I suppose you want to get home and tell the good news to everyone. Fireplace is clear, you can go now. I'll see you at the start of training in two weeks."

They thanked Shacklebolt and headed to the fireplace, eager to give a blow-by-blow account to the waiting Weasleys.

As soon as the dust settled in the Weasley living room, Harry became aware of several eager faces staring at him and Ron expectantly from the living room.

"Well?" asked Fred.

Harry felt Ron put on a neutral expression to prolong the anticipation for greater dramatic effect. Fred, George, Ginny and Hermione looked worried. Slowly, they eased out a smirk.

"We passed," Ron muttered.

A chorus of cheers erupted. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley burst in to see what the commotion was about, and on their heels were Bill and Fleur.

For several minutes, Harry was caught in a blur of handshakes and pats. But when he came to Mrs. Weasley, she gave him and Ron a sad smile and ruffled their hair. Harry knew she was secretly wishing they didn't choose to be Aurors. He expected to hear about it for years to come--just like she always lamented Fred's and George's career choice. She quickly turned away and muttered something about needing to make dinner.

Everyone else, though, was genuinely happy for them and eager for their account. Bill and Fleur who were just about to leave when they arrived, decided to stay on for a few more minutes. Harry let Ron tell everything, adding just a few details every now and then.

"I 'ave a friend from Beauxbatons that applied for the Aurors. Do you know if Maddy  
Dindarte pass too?" Fleur asked after Ron told them -in a very indignant way- how Zabini managed to pass.

Harry remembered the French girl they met on the staircase. Shacklebolt mentioned her name which he recalled, began with an 'M.' "Maddy? Is she strawberry-blonde?" he asked.

"Yes, yes, Madeleine Dindarte," replied Fleur. "She was one of my friends in school though she was younger."

"Yeah, I think she did. Ron and I met her during the practical. We teamed up with Alicia and this Hufflepuff boy when we had to duel the Aurors."

"Oh, I am glad!" Fleur exclaimed. "I must owl Maddy when I get home. We were good friends, Maddy and I. You will like her. She is a lovely person. Brilliant at potions."

Harry made a mental note to ally himself with this girl. He and Ron needed all the potions help they could get if they wanted to get through Auror training. Without Hermione, he realized they needed someone else to fill the void as a study back-up.

"Eez there anyone else from Beauxbatons zat passed?" Fleur asked.

Harry scowled. "There's another one…"

"Yeah," Ron interrupted. "There's this bloke that's been giving us airs, some arrogant prat named Orion Lanc--Lanc…"

Fleur's expression soured. "Orion Pierre de Lancre." She spat the name as if it disgusted her.

"You know him?" Bill asked.

"I went out with 'im once in my sixth year."

Ron's eyebrows shot up the same time as Bill's. "But isn't he the same age as Harry and me?" Ron said coyly.

Fleur reddened and Bill's curious expression turned into a scowl. "You went out with a younger bloke?"

"Well, I was sixteen when I did."

"And he was what? Thirteen?" said Bill. Harry wasn't sure if the oldest Weasley sibling was annoyed or amused.

"Well, he is a very 'andsome boy," Fleur defended. "And brilliant… until I learned what a bigheaded… what do you British call a lizard?"

"Git," everyone replied.

"Yes, exactly," Fleur said. "Orion was the best in Beauxbatons, even in 'is fourth year. But he doesn't want competition. When the Tri-wizard Tournament came in my seventh year, he was disappointed he couldn't compete 'cause he was underage. I was a threat to 'im because I qualified for the Tournament. Orion despised me for it, especially when he found out 'arry competed too. Before I left for the competition, he told me I would not win--that Beauxbatons couldn't win if he did not compete--as if he was the only brilliant student."

Fleur shook her head and placed an assuring hand on top of Bill's. "He is intimidating you?" she asked Ron and Harry. They nodded.

"That is just like 'im. You are threat to 'is becoming the best in everything. He treats all threats that way. But I do not worry," she beamed at them. "I believe my little bruzzers can beat 'im anytime."

Harry felt his cheeks grow warmer at the compliment. He wondered if Ron still had a bit of a crush on Fleur, though she treated him with sisterly affection now. Fleur was so much a part of the Weasley family that she had taken to calling Ron, and even Harry, 'her little brothers.'

"Well it's late, Fleur and I need to get going," said Bill. "Congratulations again, Harry, Ron."

"You will not stay for dinner?" Mrs. Weasley peered in from the kitchen.

"Sorry Mum, Order duty." He kissed his mother on the cheek and Fleur followed before they went outside to Apparate.

"You two better wash up," Mrs. Weasley said to Harry and Ron after Bill and Fleur left. "Dinner will be ready in fifteen minutes and I don't want you looking like you just came out of a battle when you're at my table."

Ron was about to protest, but Harry reminded him that they were sweaty and that they could continue their account during dinner. They had a quick shower that left them refreshed and a bit sleepy. Harry thought Shacklebolt was right; they really needed to postpone moving into Godric's Hollow until tomorrow. He convinced Ron to lie in bed for a few minutes though they were still too excited to fall asleep completely. They were in bed for five minutes when someone knocked.

Hermione came in. "I didn't bother you, did I?" she asked.

"No, come on in Hermione," Ron invited with a tap to the side of his bed. She slowly sat down and clenched her hands nervously. Ron was about to launch into another detail of their exam but Hermione stopped him.

"I need to tell you something."

"I know, Hermione," Harry said. "We're a bit too tired to move to Godric's Hollow today. Let's just do it tomorrow, gives us more time."

She shook her head. "It's not that. Could you two sit up, please?"

"Too tired, Hermione," Ron mumbled. But Harry got up for him. There was something about her manner that told him he needed to be sitting up for what she had to say.

"Remember when I told you I wanted to become a healer and that I'm interested in Asian Magic? Well, I think I've got a chance, a really good chance."

Harry brightened. "You got a job already? That's good. Where? St. Mungo's?"

Hermione shook her head and gave them a small smile. "No, not St. Mungo's, and it's not a job. It's something better, it's a scholarship. There's this new program, see. That friend of Dumbledore's in India, she's retired now but she has this project that she likes to call 'sharing knowledge with the West.' She wants to give a chance for European students to see a more Eastern perspective. It's still an experimental program so she'll only take one student. And she sent me an invitation as the first student to undergo training." Her eyes brightened with excitement. "This is really a good opportunity. I'll get to learn a lot and maybe even be a specialist in Asian healing. I could start a new trend; open new doors to others in a new field of study."

"Well that's great then," Ron said. "Congratulations."

"Thanks," Hermione beamed, though Harry could sense she was still agitated about something. "Well, it's just that, this scholarship is different. It's an immersion that will take me to really learn things on field."

"Meaning…?" asked Harry.

"I'm going to be sent to a tour of the East to learn about their different healing practices. It's not just India, though I stop there first. I'll be going on to China, then Japan, then the South East Asian countries."

"Wow!" Ron cried. "You get to travel? That's just amazing! You know I've been to Egypt before and it's been wonderful. Just go get Harry and me souvenirs when you get back after a few weeks."

Hermione bit her lip. "That's just it. It's… the trip's going to take a little longer than a few weeks."

Harry eyed her carefully. "A few months then?"

She shook her head. "The program's for two years."

Harry didn't think he heard her right. It was Ron who muttered, "What?"

"It's not like I'll be gone for the whole two years. I can come home for holidays. Christmas… and Easter."

"And what about the rest of the year?" Ron asked doubtfully.

"I have to go around, take a few courses at every Asian Magical School that's part of the program, work a bit at their healing centers; it's all part of the training."

"You're going to be living away from us?" Ron remarked. "I thought we were moving together, at Harry's house."

"I'm sorry I won't be able to be with you. I appreciate the invitation and I can still stay with you whenever I come home. Ron don't look like that. It's not like I'm going away forever. I'll be owling you and Harry as often as I can. It will be just like summer vacation."

Harry thought Hermione made it sound so easy. But the disappointment was not so easy to suppress by saying it would just like be summer vacation. Hermione had disappointed them once when she bailed out on them on being an Auror. And now she was leaving--for two years. Harry knew he was probably selfish, but in his life he had lost too many friends. He wanted to make sure at least the ones he had left behind were close to him, especially the two closest friends he had.

"When are you leaving then?" he asked, trying to ease the bitterness out of his voice but he failed miserably.

"I'm leaving by international portkey first thing tomorrow morning."

"Tomorrow!" Ron exclaimed. "How could it be tomorrow? You've just gotten your letter."

Hermione refused to meet their gaze.

Harry felt a twinge at his throat but it was Ron who voiced out his hurt. "How long have you known about this? Were you even planning on telling us?"

"I got the owl after we got back from Cornwall," she replied. "I wanted to tell you, but I didn't want you to get you upset before your exams."

"Oh, so you just tell us a day before you leave. That's really sensitive of you!"

"I thought you understood what I had to do."

"Yeah, but Harry and I didn't think you would be doing it on the other side of the planet! How could you just leave us like this? I thought we were friends."

"I'm still your friend. And I'm asking you now as a friend not to make a big thing out of this. Not on my last day here."

"NOT A BIG THING!" Harry finally roared. "I DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU, HERMIONE, BUT YOU LEAVING THE COUNTRY FOR MERLIN KNOWS HOW LONG…"

"Five months, Ron! I'll be back in five months! So don't shout at me!"

"Yeah, you'll be back for what? AWEEK? Then you'll go traipsing out in some foreign country again," spat Ron. He huffed then added. "And I didn't shout at you, Harry did."

Hermione held up her hands in a pleading gesture. "It's part of my study. How can I make you understand this is important to me?"

"FINE,THEN! GO! Harry and I aren't stopping you. Have a nice life, Hermione; do whatever's important to you."

Harry was too upset to care when Ron walked out of the room. In fact halfway down the stairs, he took control and began running until they reached the door. Ron stopped abruptly, turned around and summoned his Firebolt. When they had it in their hands they stomped out, ignoring Ginny and the twins who looked on dumbstruck in the living room. They took off to the air when they reached the Weasley backyard.

Harry let Ron's anger propel his own fury that fueled his need for speed and altitude. They flew so high and so fast, he barely noticed that they were getting a nosebleed when they soared past the clouds. Harry just jerked them into the opposite direction so they could plummet to the ground just as fast. Ron didn't even complain or scream at him to pull up. It was a sign of how angry he was. Harry righted the broom barely five feet from the ground.

From somewhere below, someone was screaming at them to stop. But they ignored whoever it was and repeated the same neck-breaking moves over and over again. _Let Hermione see us then, _Harry thought vindictively. _Let her think she's losing her two best friends. Maybe then she'll realize how selfish she is for leaving us._

He made loop the loops around the trees before flying very low. He felt his arm get scratched by a branch. Then he turned the broom upward again before plunging back down.

"_Okay, Harry, stop, pull up!"_

He turned up, and slowed the broom until they were about a few feet from the ground. Ron let them collapsed into the soft grass. They were drenched with sweat, aching all over and their nose was gushing out blood. But Harry felt better, so much better.

"What are you doing?! Are you trying to get yourselves killed!" They heard Hermione's scream coming from somewhere far away. There was the sound of running footsteps.

"_I hate her, Harry."_

"_No, you don't. And I don't either. We wouldn't be in this much pain if we did."_

Hermione's face came into focus. Her expression was so anguished, Harry was immediately guilty. He was about to say something apologetic, but Ron was quicker.

"Go away, Hermione. Just leave me and Harry alone like you want to."

Harry registered a tear falling from Hermione's eye before he gave in to exhaustion.


	17. Heartache

**Chapter Seventeen**

**Heartache**

Harry woke up and wished he was back to being unconscious. His muscles ached and he was doubly tired than before. He admonished himself for losing control when Ron was also at the bursting point of his rage. Their tempers together were dangerous enough to kill them. It didn't really help matters as it was. He and Ron were sure to get it from Mrs. Weasley later and Hermione would go away tomorrow thinking they hated her for it.

Harry watched a framed picture of the three of them on Ron's table next to the bed where he lay. He focused on Hermione who was smiling as she held one arm around his waist and the other on Ron's. It was taken during Christmas at the common room in sixth year—the last carefree holiday they had before the war turned their lives upside down. He remembered that after the picture was taken they all looked up and discovered a sprig of mistletoe hanging above them. He and Ron looked nervous but Hermione giggled and gamely kissed them both on the cheek. He could still feel that kiss. It was just like the kiss she first gave him at the end of fourth year, but somehow it felt different to Harry. He felt warmer and tingly inside. After that, his eyes seemed to follow her more often than he used to. He liked having her close and he felt funny when she sat a little closer to Ron than usual. He tried to dismiss it—it wasn't hard considering he always had a lot on his mind—but he knew that he was quite aware Hermione was a girl, a very pretty girl whom he cared a lot about, in more than a platonic way.

He wasn't blind to Ron's affection for her. He knew it as early as fourth year. And when he shared Ron's body, it was even more evident in the way Ron's heart pounded faster when she touched them or the way his eyes lingered on her whenever she wasn't looking. Harry was partly thankful that Ron felt about her that way. At least, whatever feelings Harry had for her would pass off to Ron as his own feelings. His best mate never knew the difference and Harry preferred to keep it that way. He was assured Ron would never have the courage to tell Hermione what he felt, and Harry had no intention of saying anything either. He was content to admire her from afar with Ron.

The door opened and Ginny came in.

"So you're awake," she said icily. She flashed him a harsh look. "Mum sent me up. She's waiting with dinner and a couple of harsh words for you two."

"It's just Harry, Ron's still asleep," he explained.

Ginny didn't change her expression. She was so used to him by now she treated him like one of her brothers. "Wake him up then."

"I can't do that. I don't know how."

That was one thing he and Ron never really figured out. They couldn't understand how one of them can be awake while the other was unconscious at the same time. It wasn't physically rooted, as Hermione explained to them, they were sharing one body and so they should both either be asleep or awake at the same time. But on the rare occasions that it did happen, it was always when they were physically or mentally strained. Perhaps it was one of those times where the body was still capable of consciousness, but only one of them was strong enough mentally to keep awake. It only occurred from several minutes to as much as a few hours after which even the conscious one eventually dropped off to sleep.

"It's not like I can wake him by shaking or screaming at him," he explained to Ginny. "He has to wake up on his own."

"Well, go on down there. At least one of you gets to eat." She turned around and marched back down the stairs, muttering about bloody idiots trying to kill themselves.

Harry found Mrs. Weasley waiting for him in the dining room. Hermione wasn't there and none of the other Weasley siblings were either. He figured they had steered clear of this one, knowing what was to come.

As predicted, Mrs. Weasley gave him a mouthful over his steak and boiled potatoes. He didn't say anything, not even to tell her Ron wasn't there. He hoped Ron was grateful to him for this. She didn't give any punishment—he and Ron were, after all, adult wizards—but she made him feel extremely guilty for their suicidal flying and hurting Hermione.

When it was over, Harry trudged up back the stairs. He paused at Ginny's floor and listened to the slightly opened door. He could hear sniffles inside and Ginny's soothing voice.

He couldn't stand it anymore. She was leaving tomorrow and the least he could do was let her know he wasn't mad. He pushed open the door.

"Ron? Harry?" Hermione called, she wiped away her tears.

"It's just Harry. Ron's still out. Can I talk to you?"

Ginny made her way out and closed the door behind her.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you before. I should have but you were so excited about Auror exams, I didn't have the heart to say it."

Harry shook his head and sat down next to her on Ginny's bed. "Never mind that. You had to go sometime. Don't worry about it. Just owl us everyday and see us on your vacation." He held out a hand in peace. Hermione took it and gave it a firm squeeze.

"Thanks Harry. I hate to go with you angry at me. You think Ron's… is he still mad?"

"Well… er," Harry wasn't sure. Ron's last words were that he hated her and knowing Ron, he was the kind who could be angry for a long time. But he didn't want Hermione to know that. "He'll come around."

Her face fell. "I just wish I could say goodbye to him. I'm going to miss you both. Promise me you won't get yourself killed in training."

"I'm already dead," Harry mumbled. Hermione sniggered at the unintended pun.

"I mean don't get Ron's body killed. I want you both alive. I hope you get a new body soon. I know the Ministry is against us and law enforcement's preventing Dementors from getting new victims by containing the creatures. But I'm hoping—not without feeling guilty—that some idiot would run across one so you could live again. Maybe I'll find one in Asia. Dementors do exist there."

"Well I hope it isn't too much of an idiot," said Harry. "But I'll take an idiot any day to a girl. Please, Hermione, if you find one, hope that it's a male body."

"I don't know," she smiled slyly. "It may be nice to have a girl friend named Harriet."

"Hermione!"

"I'm kidding," she laughed. "We'll look for a boy. It will be too weird if you end up a girl, since you do fancy girls and… okay we are not going there." She blushed and Harry noticed how the color highlighted her face in a nice way. She wasn't pretty like Cho Chang or a head-turner like Fleur, but there were moments—casual instances like these when she appeared so beautiful to him. He studied her carefully, taking note of her features partly hidden by her bushy hair. He reached out a hand and pulled back a stray lock out of her eyes and placed it behind her ear. He let his finger linger there for a moment as his eyes locked with hers.

"What is it?" she asked.

Harry pulled her into an embrace. She hugged him back. He took it as welcoming sign. He drew her closer and buried his face into her wild mass of curls. Her scent was so intoxicating Harry was completely lost in it. He brushed his lips on her forehead and savored the feel of her skin. But she pulled away and abruptly ended his moment of bliss.

"Well it's late. Ginny may want to have her room back. You better get some rest too," she said.

Harry felt a bit hurt at being dismissed but there was nothing to do but go back to Ron's room. "I'll see you tomorrow then."

"Yes, I want you there with me to the portkey site. Goodnight, Harry and congratulations again."

"Thanks. Goodnight, Hermione." He gave her one last lingering look and sadly turned away.

* * *

Ron found himself sitting up in bed with the picture frame of him, Harry and Hermione clutched in his hand. He put it back down on the table.

"_Harry?"_

No answer. He figured Harry must be asleep.

He checked their watch. It was almost midnight and he wasn't famished as expected, but was still longing for an extra bite of food. He knew Harry had been awake before to eat and wished he was too. He felt Harry didn't eat enough.

He stole down into the kitchen, intent on getting a sandwich. He found a few pieces of bread and some leftover meatloaf and helped himself to it along with a glass of milk. He was halfway through his meal, when he noticed a light on in the living room. Glass and sandwich in hand, he peered to see if anyone was still up.

"Ron?" He knew it was her before she came into his line of vision. She was sitting on the floor by the coffee table, with a quill in her hand and a piece of parchment. She was in her dressing gown and pajamas and the small light cast on one of the lamps made her pleading eyes sparkle. He wanted to smile at that vision but he remembered he was still angry at her.

"Ron?" she repeated imploringly.

He wished she hadn't seen him. He didn't want to make up just now but he didn't want to get into a row either. He had an idea.

"It's Harry."

"Oh," she looked disappointed.

He figured he might as well play the part. At least he could say goodbye to Hermione without apologizing.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

She put her quill down. "I don't know if I'll have a chance to say goodbye to Ron in person. I don't know if he'll want to talk to me. If he doesn't want to, I'll leave him a letter."

Ron sat next to her and peered into the parchment. She hadn't made it past the 'Dear Ron.'

"Please make sure he reads it. Make him understand why I have to do this."

"I think he already understands why you're doing this. It's just that part about you not telling us that gets to him. It's like you don't care about your friends anymore that you have to keep it from us until the last minute," Ron said with a hint of sarcasm before he could stop himself.

"That's not true," she eyed him carefully. "I do care about you. I've always have. Sometimes I'm just so scared of telling you that I keep delaying. It's the same with my parents. But believe me when I tell you, I have all the best intentions. It's just that circumstances change. We have to grow up."

"Even if it means growing apart?"

"Yes," Hermione said sadly. "But that doesn't mean I won't be your friend anymore."

Hermione laced her fingers with his and her thumb began moving up and down his index finger. She seemed lost in thought, fascinated by their interlocked hands.

"Do you think Ron can forgive me?"

Ron smiled at her though she wasn't looking at him. "Yeah, he will, Hermione. He cares about you too."

"Does he?"

"I'm sure of it. And he'll probably say goodbye to you in person tomorrow before you leave."

"Thanks," she murmured. She turned to him with a half-bewildered, half-curious expression. Her eyes moved across his face, as if memorizing his features. A sudden tiny smile appeared at the corners of her mouth and he realized she was counting his freckles.

_Good luck counting all of them, _he was about to comment. But the words died on his lips when she cupped her hand against the side of his face. The contact sent tingles down his spine. But it was nothing compared to the feeling when she trailed a finger on his scar.

"Does it hurt?" she whispered.

"No," he gasped.

Her touch was agonizingly sweet. He closed his eyes to feel every inch of it. And when he opened them, he found her gaze so overwhelmingly full of affection. Her hand lingered at his neck where his scar ended. Ron covered her hand with his own and he felt her draw closer. He could feel her warm breath from her slightly parted lips and knew from her gaze of her deep longing.

_She thinks I'm Harry! _The realization came to him like a blow. _Oh Merlin! She's looking at me like that and she's seeing Harry, not me! She's in love with Harry!_

Ron pulled her hand away from his neck and stood up, hurt welling up his chest. "I think you better go," he managed to say evenly.

If she was disappointed, she hid it well. "You're right… I should go back to bed. She collected her quill and parchment and started up the stairs. She paused on the third step and turned around.

"Thanks for understanding. Goodnight… Ron."

She ran up the stairs. Ron watched her for several minutes, not trusting what he just heard.

_She said 'Ron'? She knew it was me! She wasn't thinking of Harry at all. It was me she wanted!_

Ron was so overjoyed he actually hopped around for another minute or two before he remembered something: He had to tell her! Now, while he still had the chance to be alone with her!

He jumped to follow her up the stairs. In his excitement, he forgot to watch where he was going. He stepped into a trick step, twisted his ankle and crashed five steps down.

"Oww!" he groaned at his injured legs.

"What in heaven's name?" his mother's voice asked in the darkness of the floor above. Her face and his father's appeared.

"Are you trying to kill yourselves again?" she asked sternly.

Ron tried to get up but he realized his ankle wasn't holding up and sat back down on the floor. He let out a curse.

"Language!" Mrs. Weasley admonished, though she kept her voice down so it wouldn't wake the whole house. "Now what are you two doing?"

"It's just Ron. I just fell down the stairs. It's not like I did it on purpose. I think I sprained an ankle."

His mother pulled out her wand and levitated him to a couch. His father disappeared back into his room.

"I'm no good at healing sprains, Mum. Could you heal it?"

Mrs. Weasley eyed him suspiciously. "So you can run around and give me more nerves after what you did this afternoon? No, not tonight. You can stay there until tomorrow."

"But I need to talk to Hermione," he reasoned.

"Do it tomorrow. You're not getting her out of bed at this ungodly hour. She needs her rest before she leaves tomorrow."

"But Mum."

"Goodnight, Ronald."

She marched up back and Ron lay back on the couch extremely frustrated. For several minutes he huffed angrily, until he calmed down a bit and began to think.

_If I could go up there, what would I say? 'I like you too, Hermione?' Then what? Would she stay here?_

She wouldn't, of course. Besides, what would happen to them if she knew he felt the same? Would they start a long distance relationship, write love letters then wait until she came home during break?

He thought about holding her hand, kissing her—maybe even more—and realized that if he did that, Harry would be doing that to her too. The mere thought sent waves of jealousy inside him. It wasn't like they could sneak around Harry to do that. They had no idea when the next time he could be awake and Harry was asleep would come. And if she could only come home twice a year, the chances of being alone were likely to be nil.

_Bloody hell! It simply won't do! Better that she didn't know anything at all. Nothing good would come of it if she knew. We'll just end up being both frustrated and we'll be risking our friendship on a chance with no assurance of us ending up together, _Ron thought before he closed his eyes to rest. His last thought before he finally drifted off was that he hoped Harry appreciated what he was doing for him.

**A/N: I know I'm tip-toeing the line of Harry-Hermione ship. Let me just assure everyone that I will be keeping this story R/H. But I need Harry to have feelings for Hermione as an added twist. You'll find out why in the last few chapters. As for Hermione's feelings, the next chapter will clear it up.**


	18. Leaving

**Chapter Eighteen**

**Leaving**

"Heads down!"

Hermione managed to duck in time to avoid her own trunk from smashing on her head. She turned to Fred and George with a scowl. "Could you be a bit more careful?"

"We're trying," said Fred. "But you've got too much stuff in there, too hard to levitate even with a weightless charm. I think the stuff inside is resisting. It keeps wobbling. Throwing it is easier than letting it float."

"Ever heard of the saying, 'travel light,' Hermione?" complained George. "Your trunk weighs a ton. Did you bring the entire Gryffindor girls' dormitory in there?"

"Nope, just the library."

She turned to find Harry and Ron levitating the rest of her luggage. One (or both) of them grinned at her as they set her bags near her feet.

"You know how she is. She can't live without her books," said Harry _or_ Ron. "I think she can fill up a small library by now with all those."

"And I hope to get more books after I finish with this program in two years," said Hermione.

Ron -she was sure it was him as his expression was too Ron-ish to be Harry- gave her a smirk. "Well we better get those house elves working on new shelves for the library at Godric's Hollow then. Expect by Christmas Hermione's coming home with double the load of books."

Normally, Hermione would launch into an argument against Ron's use of the term "house elves." But she didn't want to get into a row with him right now since she was leaving in a few minutes and they just made their peace this morning. It wasn't exactly a real reconciliation as Hermione expected. When she got up, Ron and Harry greeted her as if nothing happened. Ron didn't even apologize but cheerfully helped her carry her luggage down -well at least she hoped he was cheerful. That could have been Harry for all she knew.

Most of the time, she could tell them apart when they talked to her. Last night, she was certain it was Ron she met in the living room. And although they reached a sort of understanding to not fight anymore, she was still a disappointed that he just dismissed her after she had made it clear to him how she felt.

She pondered over it all the way to the Ministry of Magic and came to several assumptions: _One_, it was possible Harry was also awake when she talked to Ron so he couldn't let out his real feelings. _Two_, it was really Harry she was talking to (which wasn't likely because she was really sure it was Ron she met at the living room, or at least he was there). _Three_ (most likely of all possibilities), Ron is and always will be an insensitive wart and couldn't get it even if she spelled it out for him. And _Four_ (she shunned to think of it), he didn't feel anything at all for her and sent her away to save her from embarrassment.

Hermione considered just saying something to him, but she couldn't find an opportunity since she was caught in last minute preparations for her trip and there was the issue of having Harry around to hear it.

Hermione looked around the atrium of the Ministry of Magic. The Fountain of Magical Brethren was functioning again but it didn't have the statues that once decorated it. Instead, water sprouted ungracefully from the center of the pool. Hermione figured the Ministry officials had more important matters to attend to than restoring the fountain to its former glory.

"Arthur says he'll meet us by the fountain with your parents, Hermione," said Mrs. Weasley.

Hermione nodded and they all moved on towards the fountain. They didn't have to wait long. Mr. Weasley appeared shortly with Mr. and Mrs. Granger from the hallway that led to the telephone booth. Hermione's parents couldn't stop looking around their surroundings. Despite the damage the Ministry Office Buildings sustained during the war, they still looked fascinating to two muggles.

After greetings were exchanged, Mr. Weasley led all of them towards the lift that would take them to the lower levels of the Ministry. The lift was fortunately empty and they all crammed into the tiny space with Hermione's luggage (Hermione and Mr. Weasley managed to shrink most of it in so they'd all fit).

"Ride's a short one," Mr. Weasley explained to the excited dentists as they watched the golden grilles of the lift slide into place. "We're just heading down to level six."

But when the lift stopped at their level, they found a crowd gathered in the hallway. Hermione noticed that a lot of people, mostly Aurors, seemed to be huddled outside the office of the Department of Magical Transport.

"Coming through," Mr. Weasley attempted to part through the crowd as he, Fred, George, Harry and Ron levitated Hermione's trunks. "International portkey departure, let us through please."

"You can't go in there," a middle-aged Auror stopped them. "And you have to clear up the hallway."

"Why?" asked Mr. Weasley.

"High-security prisoner will be transported in five minutes."

"But I have an international portkey set in twenty three minutes," Hermione explained. She held up her overseas portkey request ticket."

"All portkey departures have been delayed," the Auror replied. "You have to clear off for a while. Move over to that side of the hallway to make room. Someone from the Portkey Office will call you later."

They made their way towards an empty side of the hallway.

"Who do you think is it?" Fred asked.

Hermione saw Harry and Ron beckon to someone. She strained her eyes to see and noticed something transparent emerge from the crowd of Aurors. She realized it was Kingsley Shacklebolt. Harry and Ron told her about him, but it was still disconcerting for her seeing him as a spirit, more so for her already overwhelmed parents.

"What's going on?" Harry or Ron asked him.

"Convict transfer," Shacklebolt said. "They're sending him to labor camp today."

"There seems to be a lot of Aurors," observed Hermione. "Is that normal for just one prisoner?"

Shacklebolt shook his head and he looked unusually cross. "We're not here for security. We just want to get a look at that bastard before he gets thrown in prison. I hope he rots in there for the rest of his life so he could think of all the people he killed."

Hermione was rather surprised to hear this from the usually calm Auror. She was about to ask who the prisoner was when the lift stopped on their floor and the grilles opened. All the Aurors in the hallway started shouting furiously and looked like they wanted to hex the person who just arrived.

Hermione, her parents and the Weasleys all craned their necks to see. The prisoner came out of the lift surrounded by three Aurors who were also shouting to everyone to calm down and let them pass. Hermione could see the prisoner's bluish gray robes. His hair was dark and dirty. He reminded her of Sirius when he first escaped from Azkaban. He moved slowly through the crowd as if delaying his steps so he could hear more invectives hurled at him. He seemed to be enjoying irritating all these Aurors who were after his blood.

As he passed near where she was standing, he slowly turned his head. Hermione's heart stopped altogether. A pair of dark eyes met hers. Those were the eyes that haunted her sleep. But they appeared even worse as they were imbedded on a deformed face half-burned on one side where she cursed him with a blue-bell flame. She remembered his face burning that night while he was laughing with the tickling charm she sent next. It struck her how horrible it was that he was suffering yet laughing at the same time. He seemed to be laughing even now at her. His lips curved into a grotesque smile and she was startled when he cried out:

"I'll get you yet, Mudblood! You just wait. I'll smear that pretty face of yours with a scar just like the one I left on your breast!"

Mrs. Weasley was by her side in a moment and Dolohov focused his attention to her.

"I enjoyed torturing your boys, Prewett! I see you've got more for me to play with!"

Mrs. Weasley held her wand out to strike, but Mr. Weasley pulled her back. "Don't Molly! Let it go, let it go!"

At her side, Hermione saw that the twins were also restraining Harry and Ron. "I'll kill him!" one of them was shouting. "He should have died that night! I should have finished him off when Hermione didn't!"

Dolohov was still taunting them but what he said was drowned out by the other shouts from the crowd. He finally disappeared inside the Department of Magical Transport office.

Hermione didn't realize she was numb until she realized her mother had her arms around her. Next to her, her father looked worried and frightened. She breathed heavily and assured herself that she would never see that Death Eater again.

"It's alright, Mum," Hermione calmly said. "He's going to be sent far away where he can't hurt anyone again."

"Will you be safe where you're going?" her mother asked.

"Yes, don't worry about me. The war's over. Everything's going to be alright."

Harry and Ron were still muttering obscenities under their breath but one look from her made them calm down a bit.

"Who was that Hermione?" her father asked, fearfully. He was looking between her and a sobbing Mrs. Weasley. "Why was he threatening you?"

Hermione swallowed hard. Even though she had explained most of what had happened to her world to her parents, it would take quite some time for them to get used to all the darker aspects of the wizarding world.

"He's the one, the one I told you about who tried to kill me three years ago. He also killed Ron's uncles. They were Aurors."

"Two of the best Aurors." Shacklebolt floated towards them and Hermione's parents shrank back. "I went to Auror Academy with Molly's brothers. They were my best mates. Almost all of us here knew them. That's why a lot of us turned up today."

Her father's concern for her seemed greater than his shock at the spirit in front of him and he mustered the courage to address him. "But what's a 'mudblood?' Why did he call my daughter that?"

Shacklebolt shook his head. "It's an insult to children of folks like you. Some people of our kind think you lower than they are because you're non-magical."

"Like that blond man who looked down at us on the pub a few years back?" Mr. Granger asked Hermione. "You remember that, when Arthur got into a fight in that shop? Are there any more people like that who would want to harm you?"

"Don't worry Dad," Hermione reassured him. That man, Lucius Malfoy. He's sure to be convicted and put away too. The Prophet says he's scheduled for a hearing today."

"Well he won't make it to the hearing," said Shacklebolt.

"What?!" cried Harry _or_ Ron, who just joined them. "Where is he? Did he escape?"

"No. We found him dead in his cell this morning. He hanged himself. He just couldn't take it that he would be stripped of his magic. It was a big blow to him as a pureblood wizard. Wish he didn't die though, so he could suffer humiliation with the rest of his murderer friends. We're making sure that Dolohov and the rest can't kill themselves. It defeats the new capital punishment system if they do."

"Where are they being sent?" asked Hermione.

"Can't tell you that," said Shacklebolt. "Too many people out there wanting to take revenge and it's not just the Aurors so we have to keep it a secret. Harry and Ron will find out eventually when they rise to junior Auror status. One of their duties is to guard the prison along with reinforcing the spells on Azkaban so the contained dementors don't get loose." He looked at them. "But in your case, I don't think Chief Atalanta will be assigning you to dementors. She knows how you can get Harry a body and she doesn't want to risk anything."

"You mean she doesn't trust us?"

"Sorry," Shacklebolt apologized. "But she doesn't want to put you where you might be tempted to do something."

"So she's going to keep us together? I think Chief Atalanta actually wants me and Ron to stay together like this for life because we have a better advantage as Aurors."

Shacklebolt just shrugged but his meaning was clear. Harry was right on what the Auror chief wanted. It wasn't pleasant, but they didn't have a choice in the matter. Harry and Ron wouldn't be accepted into the Auror Academy at all if it weren't for their condition.

The hallway gradually thinned out of people until the path to Portkey office was clear. A witch in plain work robes peered out of the door and called Hermione's name. They all bid Shacklebolt goodbye and entered the office. For the next few minutes, Ministry officials checked into Hermione's luggage and the other paperwork for her departure.

"First time to use the International Portkey, dear?" the witch assisting her asked.

Hermione nodded.

"Well I hope you're not queasy. Trip would take ten whole minutes. New Delhi is quite far and we don't have too many people going there. So just in case, put this on." She handed Hermione a raincoat.

"What for?"

"Lots of people throw up halfway in the journey. Unless you want soiled clothes when you get to India, you better be suited up for it. They'll pass you a barf bag when you touch down, but until then, coat's your only protection."

"Better put it on Hermione," said Ron. "When we went to Egypt our portkey took us about half the time and I was throwing up like mad on the way."

Hermione was convinced and suited up just as her luggage was piled up on a cart that would be portkeyed after her.

"Five minutes," said the witch. "Say your goodbyes now."

Hermione turned to her parents and hugged them first, promising to owl or call whenever she could and reassuring them that it was perfectly safe. She hugged Mr. and Mrs. Weasley next, followed by Ginny. She wasn't aiming to hug the twins as they weren't really that close but they enveloped her just the same. She turned last to Ron and Harry.

"I'll owl and floo as much as I can," she said.

"So will we."

"Ron…" she hesitated. It was the last chance she had.

"Yes?"

"I… I'm sorry about last night." That came out vague.

"I'm sorry too," he said. "I didn't mean to upset you, with Harry and I flying, I mean. Just have a good time out there and write us often."

"Thanks," she said. She was going to give them a hug, but they held back at arm's length and shook her hand.

"Thirty seconds Ms. Granger!" the witch announced.

Hermione reluctantly stepped away and hopped aboard the departure dais. The witch handed her a broken lamp shade.

They all waved goodbye to her and she waved back. At that moment, she forgot all her fear from her encounter with Dolohov with so many people caring for her. She stared intently at all those faces and thought sadly of the life she was leaving behind and the new one she was about to begin. As the seconds ticked away, her gaze fell on one redheaded young man that had regret written on his blue eyes that she knew was mirrored on her own.

**A/N: This is the last chapter with Hermione in it before I fast-track the story line to eighteen months ahead. I don't want her to be left out of the story and not much will happen to Harry and Ron in their initial training stage. More adventure will follow once they get the hand of being in the Auror academy.**


	19. Orientation

**Chapter Nineteen**

**Orientation**

It was rare that Ron felt a sense of déjà vu. But that morning at the end of August, Ron had that feeling and he wasn't sure if he liked it. It was the feeling he had only once in his life: the day that he first stepped into Hogwarts Castle as a naïve eleven-year-old. All the uncertainty and the excitement of walking into a new environment were churning his stomach to knots.

"_Relax, Ron. We're going to be fine," _Harry reassured him as they stepped inside the Auror Headquarters at the Ministry.

_Fine for him maybe, _Ron thought. He still envied Harry sometimes for being more self-assured. Still, he was glad that a little bit of Harry's confidence was coursing through him so he didn't look too nervous.

After Hermione left, Harry and Ron kept themselves busy for the next two weeks moving into their new home, practicing spells and getting as much flying time as they could. Hermione flooed and owled almost everyday to tell them about her studies. She was staying for three months at some Indian school of magic (neither Harry nor Ron bothered to learn how to pronounce its name) before moving on to the next school to learn about various healing practices in the region. Her latest letter said she was still starting to get over her culture shock then she rattled on about souls, reincarnation and famous Indian mystics. Both boys managed to tune out most of the details of her new lessons after reading her letter. What was important was that she was safe and enjoying herself, which she clearly was. Her leaving still hurt, but they slowly got used to the idea of her living far away. She did make up for it by giving regular updates of her life.

They received their acceptance owl for the Auror Academy the afternoon that Hermione left. It included their list of new books and required set of uniforms (plain grey robes and black boots). It was not the first time that Ron was grateful for inheriting Harry's and Sirius' fortune. It ensured that he didn't get anything second hand. His robes fit perfectly for once and he no longer owned anything tattered and worn. He had promised himself that he and Harry would prove to everyone, particularly Chief Atalanta, that they were really deserving of being a part of the Auror force. So it was essential that he put up a good impression by looking presentable on their very first day.

They found a number of the new recruits waiting at the Auror office. Ron approached Alicia who was talking animatedly to a short boy with strawberry blond hair. The boy laughed with a high pitch. It was too high to be male and he realized it was the French girl, Fleur's friend from Beauxbatons. She had her hair cut so short she reminded him of Madam Hooch.

"Ron, you made it!" Alicia exclaimed.

"Of course he did, he's the Boy-Who-Survived," someone behind him said. Ron turned to face the Hufflepuff boy that he met on the staircase before. "How could he not get in?" he looked at Ron. "That thing you did during the exam was amazing!"

"Er… thanks," said Ron. His ears turned red at the compliment but he was extremely pleased. He was ready to launch a blow-by-blow account of their exams when Harry chided him.

"_Don't get too smug about it," _Harry warned.

"_I wasn't going to--"_

"_Yes, you were."_

"_No, I'm not."_

"_Ron, I know you too well. And it's not that I'm stopping you for the sake of just stopping you. Just remember, nobody else is supposed to know I'm still here so don't slip up when you want to give out details."_

"_All right, I won't say anything."_

"I've never seen anything like that," the boy continued. "How did you manage to work with two wands?"

"_Careful," _Harry warned again.

"Your other wand Ron," Alicia interrupted. "Wasn't that Harry's old one? I remember seeing it when we practiced at the D.A."

"Yeah," Ron replied uncomfortably. "I kept it after he… you know, in honor of his memory. I played around with it and it seemed to work with me too," he quickly added. Ron and Harry had been instructed to be discreet when anyone questioned about their double-wand capability. The Daily Prophet had already published a rumor that Ron gained increased powers after Voldemort's defeat based on the eye-witnesses that saw him perform two spells in St. Mungo's. Moody, Chief Atalanta and Dumbledore decided to propagate that rumor in case any of the Aurors pried further about their unique abilities—which no doubt will show through the course of training. The official story they agreed on was that some of Harry's powers had transferred on Ron when he used his wand though they didn't know how exactly it happened.

"I've never known anyone who can work two spells at the same time, much more two wands," said the boy. "I didn't think it was possible."

"Indeed, someone ought to rewrite zome of the magical texts," a lazy smooth voice drawled from behind them. The tall French boy that they saw during the exam sauntered in front of them in his impeccably neat Auror robes. He held out his hand for Ron to shake.

"Orion de Lancre," he said. Ron noticed that unlike Fleur, his French accent wasn't as pronounced as hers. "I must admit, I doubted those news reports about your rather unique gifts in spell casting. Your daily paper I find is not zo reliable in the past. Don't you agree?"

Ron nodded, unsure of how to take in this sudden show of civility. He didn't accept his offered handshake and the boy withdrew his hand as if it was no consequence.

"But when I saw you during exam, I found the rumors were true. You do have quite… a different talent. Could you perhaps enlighten us to why you possezz such skills, Wezley?"

If it were anyone else who had asked, Ron and Harry would immediately tell them of the excuse they made up. But there was something about this wizard's sinister dark eyes that told them they should withhold any information, whether true or otherwise, about themselves. Plus, there's the additional insult of mispronouncing Ron's name.

"I don't really know, er… Lancry," Harry replied. "It's quite a mystery to me too."

Ron caught the faint traces of annoyance in the boy's face at Harry's mutilation of his name. But he kept his head high at them. "Well, perhaps we shall never find out then," he said.

"Yes, I suppose so," said Harry. "But let's stop talking about me. It's the best time to make introductions with the others." He turned his attention to the former Hufflepuff boy.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I haven't introduced myself. I'm John Dee by the way. I've got a boring name but I can't get rid of it. Just call me JD, everyone does."

"You are a muggle-born then?" de Lancre raised his eyebrow.

"Well, yes," he said. He didn't seem to notice the French boy's disdain. "I'm the first person in my family to be a wizard. But one of older sisters is getting married to a wizard we met in Diagon Alley when she took me there the first time. Reckon it will be quite a shock to our other relatives."

"I would not be surprized if it would be a shock too to the poor groom's family. If you'll excuse me." He walked away to join Padma and Blaise Zabini.

"What is his problem?" Ron snorted.

The French girl answered him, "De Lancres are one of ze well-known pure-blood families in France. They still look zown on pure-blood and muggle intermarriages."

"I've heard about the de Lancres," said Alicia. "They're ancient and they're perfectly pure-blood. They're bloodline goes even farther back than the Malfoys. The Lestranges and the Blacks are more their equals."

"So they were also followers with You-Know-Who?" JD asked. He eyed de Lancre doubtfully.

"No," said the French girl. "Zey did not take sides during the war like many families in France. Very few did, like ze De la Coeurs. My friend Fleur was zere during ze war. You know her?" she asked Ron.

Harry nodded. "Yes, she told me about you. Madeleine Dindarte, isn't it?"

"Oui, Ronald Weazley," she looked quite pleased that Ron knew her name. She couldn't help but eye his scar and Ron suddenly felt self-conscious. Harry though, felt nothing of it.

"Just call me Ron."

"Maddy," she replied. She gave her hand for Ron to shake. She was still looking at him in a curious way but Ron was distracted with Shacklebolt's appearance. A younger Auror was at his side, carrying an assortment of junk.

"Let me start by congratulating all of you for passing the Auror exams. Auror Kelley will be handling out portkeys that will take you to the Auror Academy this morning for your orientation. You will be informed the location of the Academy so you can apparate there in future. For security reasons, we don't disclose the location of the Academy to just anyone. You will be taking a secrecy potion so you cannot reveal where it is to anyone outside the Auror's circle."

The young Auror passed the items to the recruits. "Four to a portkey please and leave your bags and books, those will be transported later for you," he said.

Harry and Ron shared the torn hat they received with JD, Maddy and Alicia.

"You can share my portkey, Maddy," de Lancre called to her. He held out an empty wine bottle. "Unlike other wizards, I am capable of providing my companions smooth landings," he added, as he flashed her a dazzling smile.

Maddy returned the smile but with one eyebrow raised. "Oh do not worry yourzelf, Orion. I am sure I am with capable companions." She looked at Ron. Ron couldn't help but grin at de Lancre's scowl.

"Standby, five seconds," said Kelley. He gave them all a funny grin. "Good luck!"

Ron felt the familiar pull at his stomach for a moment before he felt his feet touch the floor. He quickly moved aside just as his three companions landed in an ungraceful heap beside him. For a moment, Ron flushed with embarrassment, thinking that he had not done anything to give Maddy a smooth landing as she expected. Harry just reached a hand to help her up then bid him take a look at their surroundings.

They were standing in the middle of what looked like a forest. Sunlight peeking through the gap of the thick leaves above them was the only light around.

"Where are we?" Alicia asked.

"You think there was a mistake? Maybe the portkey malfunctioned," JD said. He picked up the discarded old hat.

From where they stood, there was nothing but wood all around. They could be anywhere in the British Isles.

"_Wonderful! Our first day in the academy and we end up lost!" _Ron exclaimed. _"So much for trying to give a good first impression!"_

"_Ron, shut up a minute, will you!"_

"_What?"_

He didn't need to wait for Harry's answer. Some instinct told him to duck and he did just a split-second before a jet of yellow light came from nowhere.

"Everyone, take cover!" shouted Harry as a flood of spells started moving from all directions. Harry and Ron managed to crawl behind a giant tree root and placed a shield charm over themselves. Maddy found a nearby mossy boulder to hide in. Ron looked around for the others. Alicia was no where in sight, but JD had fallen a few feet away, stiff and unmoving.

"JD eez shot! We need to get 'im!"

"_Harry, what do you think?"_

Harry surveyed the surroundings. The spells didn't let up. They seemed to be coming from all angles.

"I will get 'im. Cover me!" Maddy exclaimed.

They nodded to her, stood up and started shooting random spells. The girl didn't hesitate. She jumped up from her hiding place and quickly made her way to the fallen boy, all the while dodging spells and sending some of her own. Ron was rather astonished at her speed. The girl was a very good athlete.

She undid the body bind spell on JD and dragged him to the tree trunk where they regrouped. They all kept to the ground to avoid being hit by the spells that hadn't stopped firing.

"All right there?" Harry asked the boy.

The boy shook his head to clear it. "Yeah, thanks. Do you think the Auror Chief would mind if we miss orientation?"

"FORGET ORIENTATION!" screamed Ron irritably. "IF YOU HAVEN'T NOTICED, WE'RE BEING ATTACKED!"

A spell fell inches from Ron's arm. It burned the grass next to him. Ron put up a protection spell and they huddled closer.

"We need to get out of here," said Harry. "And we have to find Alicia."

Something white and moving on JD's chest caught Ron's eye. Maddy noticed it too.

"What?" JD asked.

"It eez a mirror," said Maddy. She followed where the light was coming from. She pointed to a clump of trees not far away. "Alicia eez there between zose trees. She eez signaling to us."

"Good, now that we know where she is, how do we get out of this?" said JD.

"I need to see where the spells are coming from," said Harry. "Watch my back while I take a look."

Harry and Ron spent less than five seconds surveying the area before they fell back again.

"Spells are coming from the bushes," Harry reported. "I think Alicia's pretty safe from where she is. All the spells are focused on us. I'm not sure, but I think it would be best if run towards those trees where Alicia's hiding.

"That's about twenty, thirty feet away. How do we do that?" JD asked. There was a loud bang above their heads and the shield charm Ron was holding disintegrated. A sliver of light almost grazed JD's cheek. The spells seemed to be striking more closely to them. Whoever was shooting was improving aim and time was running out.

"_We could fight back,"_ said Harry.

"_Fight who? We can't see whose attacking us. We come barreling out there and it's only a matter of time before we all get hit."_

"_Well there's got to be a way to find out who's shooting at us!"_

Ron thought hard. _How do you deal with an enemy you couldn't even see? Think chess! What do you do when a piece is hiding? That was simple really. In chess you force it out by tricking it, distracting it somehow._

"We have to force whoever's out there to come out," said Ron.

"How?" asked Maddy.

"Can we summon them out like what you did to Zabini?" suggested JD.

Harry shook his head. "Too risky. We don't know where to hit. What we need is something that forces them to come out on their own."

"How about fire?" suggested JD. "We set fire to the bushes and they come out running."

Maddy's eyes brightened. "I know a better way. Do you know of ze zmoke charm? It eez completely harmlezz but it looks and zmells like fire burning."

"That might work," said Ron. "But we need something more. Some distraction, get them confused to what we're doing. Something wild and unexpected. It can be downright stupid like a… a dancing panda."

"_A dancing panda?" _Harry laughed inwardly.

"_Yes,"_ answered Ron. _"If you can think of anything more ridiculous that would really be helpful."_

"Well, where do we get a dancing panda?" Harry said aloud before he realized he appeared to contradict his own silly suggestion. But either Maddy and JD chose to ignore it or they were too nervous to realize his slip.

"I'm pretty good at transfiguration. Maybe I could work something out," said JD.

"Er…okay," said Harry. Both he and Ron didn't expect that JD would take the suggestion seriously. "I think I can conjure up a patronus to add to the confusion."

JD went first and started morphing the boulders and torn branches into an assortment of cats and dogs in ridiculous outfits. The regular spells shooting at them slowed a bit.

"It's working. I think they're confused," said Ron. "Time to baffle them a little more. _Expecto Patronum!"_

A silver mist appeared from his wand that formed a knight on horseback charging the air with his lance.

"_Expecto Patronum!"_ Harry followed his example and out came the familiar stag. His shout masked the quieter spell Maddy sent towards the bushes. Seconds later, a mist appeared which quickly grew to thick black smoke.

The spells stopped altogether and all three of them ran to the trees just as four or five figures emerged from the bushes. Harry and Ron aimed their patronuses to charge at the fleeing wizards but they quickly recovered and started shooting spells back at them. By the time they did however, Harry, Ron, JD and Maddy had reached the cover of the trees and got Alicia as an added ally.

They ran on together, shooting spells and ducking behind an occasional tree until they realized that no one was giving chase anymore. They allowed themselves to slow down.

"Who were they?" JD panted. "Where in the world did we end up in?"

"Didn't you notice their robes?" gasped Alicia. "Those were Aurors or at least Junior Aurors."

"Aurors? Zis eez all a test again?"

"Could be," shrugged Alicia. "Or maybe this is their version of new recruit orientation."

"Orientation? Looks more like neophyte initiation!" exclaimed Harry indignantly.

"You're absolutely right, Weasley!"

They all swiveled around with wands out. Ron caught a silver glint in midair and in a moment two figures disillusioned themselves.

"Tonks!"

Tonks stood by a tree looking very amused. Next to her was Mad Eye Moody with an expression bursting with mirth.

"So this is all just a joke?" asked Ron. He was beginning to turn a deep shade of red.

"Oh no," said Tonks. "We take Auror Academy tradition very seriously. Right fellas?"

One by one, the young Aurors that attacked them emerged from the wood. They were looking just as pleased as Tonks.

"Tradizion?" Maddy asked.

"Yes," said Moody. "It's tradition to let the Junior Aurors take on the new ones. Get them rattled and see if they really are deserving of the ranks. Us senior Aurors just sit back and watch the fun."

Ron wanted to kick himself. He was fighting and racking his brain out there as if his life was on the line and it was all just a big game!

"Just think of it as a way we welcome our new recruits," added Tonks. She signaled for the group to move and they walked for a few minutes until they came to a clearing that opened up to the familiar Auror Academy field.

Tonks came up to Ron and Harry and patted them on the back. "Good show. Your group managed to get one over the Juniors. That rarely happens. And you got out of the fix quite easily."

"Easy? You call that easy?" complained JD.

Tonks giggled. "At least you got out first. Nobody's here yet. The others are probably holed up somewhere. Ah, here comes another group."

The second group was composed of Padma Patil, Blaise Zabini, Terry Boot and Orion de Lancre. All of them were sopping wet and appearing disgruntled. The French boy however, was walking a distance away from the other three. He was looking daggers at the Aurors that were escorting them to the field. Ron and Harry didn't even hide their snicker at their rival's discomposure. His brand new robes were ruined and his perfectly combed hair looked just like Harry's messy head when it got soaked.

"How did those four manage in the river?" Tonks shouted to one of her colleagues.

"Pretty good. But you should have seen their faces when they landed on the water. Priceless!"

"So much for smooth landing capabilities," Harry whispered not so softly to Maddy. She, Alicia and J.D. laughed while de Lancre glared.

Terry, Padma and Blaise dropped down on all fours on the grass.

"They made us swim with some nasty water demons!" Terry explained as he breathed heavily.

"And fine good swimmers they were," praised one of their Auror escorts. "You'll be surprised what you're capable of when you're in a raging river full of Grindylows. Except for de Lancre here who made a powerful levitation spell on himself, we had to fish those three out before they drowned. But they did manage to put up a good fight."

The Aurors all began to genuinely applaud them to the new recruits' surprise.

"I expect the last group won't get here for a long time," announced one of the Aurors when the cheering stopped. "They still haven't figured out why they're stuck in a valley in the middle of nowhere." All the Aurors sniggered.

Moody raised a hand and everyone turned serious. "Give these kids a head start on the orientation then." He turned to the new recruits. "They had their fun today, tomorrow their real work begins."

"This is his idea of fun?" scowled Harry after Moody left. A younger Auror prodded them to proceed into the nearest building.

"Gee, I wonder what tortures they'll devise when we do the 'real work?'" said JD.

"Well at least that initiation bit is over," sighed Ron. "No more unexpected tricks on us from the older Aurors."

Tonks shape-shifted her face to look like Chief Atalanta and turned to them with mock authority. "Oh don't count on it, Greenhorn. Don't you dare count on it."


	20. Eighteen Months Later

**Chapter Twenty**

**Eighteen Months Later**

Harry pretended to sip his ale and resisted the urge to cough. The dimly lit bar looked even more hazy as cigarette smoke accumulated around him. He had never smoked in his life and the secondary fumes were starting to get his eyes watery. Still, he kept himself alert and watched a young redhead casually engage in conversation with an older man at the far end of the bar.

He focused on the man. He had a moustache, slightly gray hair and a pair of large glasses. He was dressed in a plaid shirt and dark pants. Nothing unusual there. He looked like any plain old sleazy muggle wanting to get lucky at this equally sleazy bar. But Harry knew better. Appearances could lie, especially if they were dealing with a master of disguise capable of using potions to alter one's appearance. They had been tracking him for almost two days now. They almost lost him when he left Diagon Alley a few hours ago. Finding a wizard in Muggle London was even more difficult as they couldn't use much magic. They had to rely on ordinary Muggle detective work of asking questions and tailing him around city's darker districts.

The last person they questioned, the bar tender, provided a big lead. He said when the man came in and ordered, he hesitated in paying as if he wasn't sure about the currency. That was almost a sure sign that he was a wizard. They confirmed it was the right wizard when Harry sent a discreet wandless spell to track the person's magical signature when he was momentarily distracted by the young woman's arrival. Now all they need was to convince him to come out of the bar so they could apprehend him.

The young woman crossed her legs, revealing more of her flawless skin that was already exposed by her tight fitting outfit. The man gleamed excitedly and leaned in closer to her.

Harry felt Ron twitch. _"Easy Ron, she can handle this."_

"_Well she better know what she's doing. Merlin, of all the shades she had to turn her hair into, why did she have to pick mine? It's like I'm watching Ginny. It's sickening."_

The woman leaned back but she kept her lips set into a seductive pout and gave a slight toss of her long hair. Harry felt Ron relax.

"_I hope she hurries up and gets him out quick. I'm dying to bag him. We shouldn't have agreed to this. It's too risky," _said Ron.

"_We can't get close to him any other way. You're too familiar, even with the different hair. Hopefully with her disguise, he won't know it's her—" _

"Alone tonight, sweetheart?" Harry and Ron were startled when a blonde woman sat on the stool beside them, effectively blocking their view of the couple. Harry smirked. They didn't need some muggle woman interfering right now when the couple could move outside any minute.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't help noticing that you're all by yourself and I thought you might like some company," the woman said.

"No, actually I'm waiting for someone," Harry replied curtly, hoping that would discourage her. But she didn't budge from her seat.

"Well I won't mind waiting with you then," she replied with a coy bat of her eyelashes.

"I'm sorry, but I don't thing that's a good idea. I'm waiting for my girl," Ron said bluntly. But to their surprise, the woman didn't look disappointed at all. She looked behind her and turned quickly back to them.

"Your girl?" she said in a pitying tone. "Let me guess, that little missy over there you've been staring at all evening? You poor thing, I think she's already found a friend. I'm sure she won't mind if you find one too." She leaned closer to them, just as the couple behind them stood up.

"_Bloody woman is annoyingly stubborn. Harry, we need to ditch her fast."_

"I'm sorry, I really have to go," Harry said. He got up from his own stool and tossed some money in the counter.

"Oh, but I'll come with you," she said as she slipped her hand on his arm.

Harry could see that the couple was almost out of the bar and he tried to pry his arm loose. "Look, I'm sure you're very nice, but I'm just not in the mood…"

"_Cut the gentleman act, Harry! They're at the door. Oh, let me handle this! _Look, Miss, I really don't want to—"

"But I'm afraid I can't let you go," the woman interrupted. Harry could feel something was wrong with this woman. She was still clutching his arm and she was reaching for something in the back of her pocket.

"_Ron, she's with him!"_

"_But she can't perform magic, not while we're in front of muggles!"_

"_And we can't either. She's going to bring us outside. We need to throw her off before---"_

Harry didn't even get to finish his trail of thought. Ron suddenly pushed at the woman viciously and shouted something rude about her not being worth that high. He ran out the door and into the pouring rain.

"_Did you have to call her a hooker in front of all those people?" _asked Harry.

"_Had to do it. Best thing I could think of. The polite way just doesn't work. Come on, we need to find Maddy."_

The icy rain made it difficult to see but they saw two figures huddled together under an umbrella. They immediately recognized Maddy's fake red hair and proceeded to tail her and her companion. They turned left into a dark alley, but it wasn't empty at all as Ron and Harry expected. There were two old men at one corner in tattered clothes clinging for shelter under a tiny space of roof between two buildings.

"_This can't be right. Maddy wouldn't lead him here," _said Harry.

"_Then that means, he led her here," _said Ron. _"They're on to us." _They eyed the two old men. They were slowly getting up, their hands in their pockets.

Harry didn't stop to decide. He stunned both old men and raced towards the couple. The man suddenly tossed the umbrella away, threw Maddy to the ground and had his wand out. Ron and Harry avoided a hex aimed at them and dived at the pavement. There was the sound of footsteps. Harry barely registered the woman who tried to distract them at the bar followed by two others. He and Ron shouted a barrage of hexes in their direction. From behind them, Maddy was doing the same at a slower pace to the older man.

"I got 'im!" Maddy shouted from behind.

Harry and Ron rushed towards her and the fallen man. Harry drew out a small object attached to a chain around his neck while Ron shouted a few more hexes in the direction of their attackers. Harry pressed the object into the man's hand and grabbed at Maddy's arm.

"Target apprehended!" he shouted then felt the street below his feet disappear. Ron conjured a soft cushion a split-second before they landed inside the Auror Academy building. They got up and looked expectantly at Shacklebolt while their captured man was revived by the Auror assistants surrounding them.

"Thirty eight hours, twenty minutes, seventeen seconds. Not bad," said the ghost Auror. "Second team back, but you get full marks for a nice clean apprehension without muggle detection. There's plus points for evading capture and knocking out four surprise attackers."

Maddy smiled at them. "Zat was Ronald."

"Yes, we know," said Shacklebolt. "But you handled yourself well out there. Risky but effective. Just don't do it when you're alone. Make sure you have a partner to back you up." He looked at Ron and Harry. "Good save making a scene. Threw off even one of our best Aurors." There was a pop behind them. "Here she is."

The blonde woman at the bar sauntered towards them. But as she approached, her hair became shorter and turned bubble gum pink. Her features rearranged themselves to look younger.

"Wotcher Ron, Maddy!"

Ron shook his head. "I should have known. Tonks. You're a damn good seductress!"

"Not good enough," she said. "You weren't even distracted for a second. Don't you like blondes?"

Harry snorted. If Tonks really wanted to distract them, she'd do better if she turned into a brunette with bushy hair instead.

"You'll get full results of your evaluation day after tomorrow," said Shacklebolt. "You're dismissed until then. You'll be needing the rest, I can assure you. You know the drill."

"Yes sir," Harry, Ron and Maddy nodded. They bid Tonks goodbye and headed towards their lockers to gather their things.

Harry couldn't think of anything but a hot bath and a good dinner at home. He could sleep a week after a test like that. Even eighteen months in training had not gotten them accustomed to the exhaustion that kicked in after each mission. He almost couldn't believe they had survived that long. The theoretical classes were hard enough, but the practical ones were always brutal. He thought back to that first day when they were thrown into an unexpected ambush in the middle of the forest. It felt like child's play now compared to what they've been subjected to. Aside from the regular dueling lessons and time-limited potion making tests, they were given on-field training on tracking, intelligence gathering and capture evasion. Those trainings usually took days in different conditions---in a city, the forest, atop a mountain, or even underwater. In between there were the drills that were just as tiring but kept them in shape for more torture. It was a comforting thought that in a few weeks they would become junior Aurors and would finally get some real action and not just simulated ones like this last stealth and tracking test.

Harry wondered too if there was a possibility of getting a body at all. Almost two years living in Ron was a long time and by now, he and Ron were so used to fighting side by side. If he did get a body eventually, perhaps they needed to retrain. Would they be sent back to year one again if they did?

First year in Auror Academy was atrocious with both the Auror Academy faculty and the junior Aurors throwing everything their way that could reach their limit. It helped that they had formed a close bond with Maddy, J.D. and Alicia from the start. It certainly made their lives more bearable during that trying year. It was comforting to have someone they could rely on to watch their back, especially when people like De Lancre and Zabini were ready to gloat at their slightest hint of failure.

As if on cue, the infamous duo appeared from the door of the locker room bearing their trademark smirk.

"Congratulations Weasley. You manage to beat your previouz record by fifteen minutes. Too bad, it is still not good enough for first place," de Lancre mocked. Zabini snickered in support.

Harry was about to retort something back but Maddy pushed behind him. "Zo what? Zer are three of you and only two of us on ze team. You 'ad ze advantage. All the ze other teams always 'ave three members, except us." She glared at de Lancre then at Zabini. The former Slytherin shrank back. He knew well enough not to taunt Maddy. Even though she was small, Madeleine Dindarte was a fierce fighter who was just as good as using her wand as using her fists when provoked. She had a colorful vocabulary that could rival even all the Weasley brothers' put together and she was an amazing beater whenever they played Quidditch during recreation time. Harry often wondered how a tough girl like her could ever be friends with the prim and proper Fleur. The last time Zabini had teased Maddy, she hexed him so hard it left him scars on the face that took about a month to heal.

She continued to glare at him until he excused himself and muttered something about needing to go home. When he left, she turned her attention to her previous classmate. He didn't flinch.

"That's becauze you chooze to be on Weasley's team. He is always the odd man out with a two member-team," replied de Lancre.

Midway during their first year, one of the new recruits had dropped out of the program and the number of recruits was reduced to an uneven eleven. Since then, every time a team practical exam was set, Harry and Ron were assigned to only one other partner while the rest were grouped by threes. Harry and Ron always teamed up with either Maddy, J.D. or Alicia.

The French boy looked down at Maddy's wet form. Her skimpy red outfit had clung to her body, revealing her skin. "You know Maddy, you are always welcome to team with me the next time. I could always kick Patil or Zabini out." He continued to stare at her as if she was a piece of meat and leaned in to leer at her chest. "I am sure we could have more fun on a mission."

Ron stepped up to interfere, but Maddy had snapped at De Lancre in French. De Lancre didn't even look fazed. He whispered something back and left them.

Ron let out a curse under his breath.

"Alwayz eez like zat," said Maddy. "But do not worry. We did well."

"Yeah, I guess," said Harry. He pushed open the door to the locker room and let himself in. He let out a loud yawn. Two days of running around was bound to break down Ron's body if they didn't crash soon.

"I need to zleep all day after theez," said Maddy in a slightly woozy voice followed by a loud "Achoo!"

Harry looked at her. In the light of the Auror locker room, Maddy looked nothing like the tempting woman at the bar. She was soaked to the bone and covered with mud like them. In her torn garment that was not in any way helping her half-frozen body, she looked like a little girl that just had a wrestling match with a hippogriff and lost.

She cast a drying charm on herself but she was still shivering. The locker room at the Auror Academy was never warm, and it was downright freezing during rainy nights, even though it was already mid-March.

"You should change into something warmer," he said.

"I do not 'ave anything else," she replied as she sniffled. "Remember, I 'ad to get zhese ridiculous clothes at a muggle shop to work on ze plan. I 'ad to throw away my robes."

Harry rummaged in their locker and found a blanket he and Ron kept there for long overnights. He tossed it to her. "Here," he said. He cast a warming charm over the blanket then went back to packing their stuff.

"Zhank you," she said before she sneezed again.

"That's a really nasty cold," said Ron.

"I 'ave pepper-up," she said. She rummaged in her own locker and found two bottles filled with an orange liquid. "Zake one too," she handed him one of the bottles.

"No thanks," said Ron. "I really don't need---ACHOO! Okay, I changed my mind, I'll need it."

Maddy smiled. "Anytime Ronald. Eef you need more, just owl."

"Sure Maddy," said Ron as he placed the bottle inside their bag. "I can never make one of these. Too hard."

"I could teach you. Eef you want, you could come over at my 'ouse---"

"Yeah, maybe one of these days," said Ron. They had finished packing and Harry slammed the locker door just as Maddy was turning her hair back to its original color and length.

"You want me to change you back?" she offered. Maddy was always better at them with concealment and facial alteration charms. They were good enough to change their hair color and eyes, but the scar across Ron's cheek was too hard to cover up so they had to ask Maddy to do it every time.

Harry was about to accept the offer but Ron shook their head and ran a hand on their messy dark head that was a copy of Harry's original hair. "I think I'll keep it this way for awhile. Kind of refreshing. Same with the green eyes." Harry felt Ron grin inwardly at him. "Oh, and can you put a scar on the right side of my forehead? Lightning shaped. Like---"

"'arry Potzer's?" Maddy smiled.

"_You're really determined into turning into me, aren't you?" _said Harry.

"_Don't flatter yourself. I just thought you might be missing it. Let's do it for laughs. Give Mickey a good right scare when we get home."_

"_Alright."_

"You miss 'im, no?" asked Maddy. "Your friend 'arry?"

"Er… yeah. But not much," said Ron.

"I wish I knew 'im. Fleur said 'e waz nice."

"_You may know him better than you think,"_ said Harry. He pulled back his familiar bangs and held out his forehead to allow Maddy to place the fake scar. When she was done, she summoned a mirror and held it to him.

Maddy giggled. "You look 'orrible!" Harry agreed with her. Ron's features clashed horribly with the dark hair, green eyes and scar. "You should turn it back again zoon. I like your 'air ze way it eez. And your eyez too. Green eez nice but your blue eez better."

"I noticed you liked it so much you turned your hair like mine," said Ron. "You look like my sister."

"Do I?" she asked, surprised. She buried her face inside her locker and appeared to be rummaging for something. "I'll keep zat in mind."

"I'll go home now," said Ron. He picked up their backpack. "See you day after tomorrow."

"Alright, zee you, Ronald," they heard her shout. "And zhanks again for ze blanket!"

They apparated directly into the couch of the Potter Manor living room. A warm rosy fire was already lit in the grate and they sat for a moment and let their toes warm.

Mickey appeared before them, looking prim and proper in her tiny blue dress, white apron and matching polka-dotted bonnet. Unlike Dobby, Mickey, Harry and Ron discovered, had a rather tasteful way dressing after she was freed. On her days off, she would go out and buy cloth, needles and thread from her salary make her own little dresses. She also did curtains, tablecloths, doilies and other decorations that brightened Potter Manor. She always managed to amaze Harry and Ron with new domestic creations that made the house even more homey and pleasant. They had wondered for a long time where Mickey got all those ideas when she had never learned much from her own mother about sewing or taking care of the home. It was only quite recently that they discovered Hermione had been sending her housekeeping magazines on the sly and making it appear that they were gifts from Harry so Mickey wouldn't hesitate to accept them. After that, Harry took it upon himself to get magazine subscriptions and provide enough gold for home improvement under her care so the creative young elf could make use of her talents without wanting for resources.

"Good evening, Master Harry," she greeted pleasantly then fuzzed around them about their soaked and muddy state. Their new look obviously didn't even register on her. Harry wondered, not for the first time, if house elves actually see them as they really looked like or only saw the soul of the person within. Mickey did recognize him inside Ron when they met her. Hermione explained before that elves had a unique power to recognize any member of the family they serve even if they had never seen them before.

"_What they do is they detect a person's magical signature, Harry,"_ Hermione explained in one of her letters when they told her they were learning about magical signatures in their tracking class. _"A magical signature is like genes, it gets passed on from parent to child. So your magical signature tends to be similar to your parents'."_

"Could you get us a glass for this Pepper-Up, Mickey?" Harry asked as he handed her the jar Maddy just gave them. "Bring it to our room and store the rest in the kitchen. We'll just go head off for a hot shower."

"Yes, Master Harry. Hot water for bath is ready. Dinner will be set in half an hour."

"Thanks, Mickey," said Ron. They got up and as they passed her, Ron gave her an affectionate pat on the head. Harry was amused. He knew Ron would never admit it to Hermione, but he gained a considerable respect for elves since they moved in. Harry too had grown even fonder of his servant. She made Potter Manor a comfortable home to crash into when they were dead tired from training. It was the little things that she did that made a difference. It was almost like living in the Burrow.

After a quick shower to wash off the mud and grime, they emerged from the bathroom in fresh robes. A covered goblet was laid out on their side table. Harry took the potion and immediately felt the smoke coming out of their ears. It was like taking too much spicy food at once but the relief it gave was instantaneous.

Mickey appeared and announced that dinner was served. They followed her down to the large dinning room and started shoveling mouthfuls of chicken and roast beef. Just as they were into their third serving of shepherd's pie, Mickey returned with a silver tray bearing a parchment with burned edges.

"This came out of fireplace," she said.

Harry picked up the note and read the familiar handwriting.

_Harry and Ron,_

_Are you home? If you are, and if you're not too tired to talk, floo me to this address:_

_Eskwela de Engkanto _

_Siquijor Island_

_Love from,_

_Hermione_

Hermione did this about twice a week. She would send an earlier note to tell them where she was, then waited for Harry and Ron to talk to her through International Floo. It was more convenient than sending owls which took about two to three days to circle the globe.

"_Where do you think she is now?" _asked Ron before he shoved in the last piece of their pie. Harry waited until they washed it down with a glass of pumpkin juice before replying.

"_No idea. Last time she was somewhere in Southeast Asia. I've lost track where exactly."_

They headed back into the living room and reached for the jar of WWFP (_World Wide Floo Powder: Global communication is one grate away_). They threw a handful of the yellow powder into the fire, shouted the address and stuck their head in.

For a moment, all Harry could see was yellow smoke then it gradually cleared away to reveal a small room that looked like the inside of a nipa hut. The roof was thatched and the floor was made of bamboo strips. They couldn't see past the large open windows, but from the refreshing breeze that touched their cheeks, Harry could tell the house was near the sea. The room was furnished with a bamboo bed with a soft white mattress and a matching desk and two chairs made of the same material. There were various decors hanging from the ceiling that looked like stringed shells and beads. In the middle of it all sat a young woman on one of the bamboo chairs by the desk, her back to them. She was attired in a blue and yellow floral skirt that covered her legs but revealed her bare feet and a matching cotton top held by string at her nape that showed her perfectly bronzed bare back. She was intent on her writing with a quill and parchment surrounded by half a dozen opened books. A stronger breeze rustled through the open window, fanning her blouse and revealing a decorative spot at the small of her back.

"_Is that what I think it is?" _Ron gasped.

Harry could only stare. Since when did Hermione get a tattoo? It certainly wasn't there when she came home for the holidays. At least, he didn't think it was. She hadn't worn anything this revealing in front of him and Ron before. The most skin she ever showed was last Christmas when she dressed up in a Chinese dress that had a slit up to her mid-thigh. But he didn't even have time to stare too long. She was talking about Chinese treatments then and Ron, thinking he could sample an oriental massage that he heard about from Hermione before, made the mistake of telling her they were sore from Auror training. She made them lie down on the bed then began to stick dozens of needles all over their body. _("Really Ron, it's a traditional form of Chinese healing. It's the same as Muggle Acupuncture, but Chinese Wizards reinforce the needles with spells so they're more effective and the results are more lasting.")_ It was hard to goggle her legs when he and Ron were too busy deliberating whether Hermione had gone mad and was studying Asian forms of torture instead of medical treatments. Harry only hoped that whatever she was learning in wherever Southeast Asian country she was in right now was a lot closer to Ron's idea of 'treatment.'

Hermione suddenly put her quill down, as if sensing she was being watched. She slowly turned towards them and gave a sharp cry.

"HARRY! WHAT HAPPENED?!"

Harry and Ron gave her a puzzled look before they realized that Hermione was reacting to their new half-Harry, half-Ron look.

"Hermione, it's all right," said Ron. "It's just a disguise spell. We had a tracking test today and we needed to alter our appearance. I thought we could look like Harry this time."

Hermione was still clutching her heart. "Well you gave me a fright! I thought something happened to you. And you don't look like either one of you. You look horrible."

"You're the second person to say that today," said Ron. "Which is telling a lot. Maybe we ought to go over to Fred's and George's tonight looking like this. That'll make them scream a bit."

Hermione shook her head. "Please change back to Ron. It's really disturbing," she sounded genuinely worried.

"All right," Ron resigned. "Give us a minute." They pulled their head back and changed their hair and eyes back to Ron's. They couldn't do anything about the scar so it stayed in their forehead instead of the cheek.

When they stuck their head back again, they found Hermione sitting on the floor to be level with them.

"That's much better," she said.

"Bugger, you're no fun," teased Ron. "Where are you anyway? Indonesia? Malaysia?"

"The Philippines actually. I'm in a wizarding school situated in an island. The weather is just wonderful here. It's all sunny and warm with a great beach to swim in. The students here are just so lucky. We get to study in a dark and freezing castle and out here they get to enjoy all this warmth the whole year round."

"So what healing methods have you learned there so far?" asked Ron. "Magical water treatment, I suppose. Does it have anything to do with tattoos?"

Hermione laughed. "No, it has nothing to do with water or tattoos. And the one on my back isn't permanent. It's just henna. It's a fad here. It will rub off in three weeks. The really odd healing method here is---and this is just amazing---faith."

"Faith?"

"I know it's a different concept. It's part of the culture, I suppose. This is a predominantly Christian country, but somehow Muggles here are just as tolerant of magical folk as those of Egypt, India and Africa where their religion compliments magic. You know from History of Magic that in the west, the witch burnings were tied up to the Christian religion. But here the people just somehow harmonized their faith in their religion with the natural magical world. Their own faith in Christianity becomes a form of magical healing. It's a little hard to explain. But anyway, I'm not going to focus my study here. I'm much more interested in Indian healing and on soul transfer. I'm doing my final paper for this program on that one."

"You mean about my case?" asked Harry.

"Yes," said Hermione excitedly. "And I'm glad you brought it up. I've been reading up on how to transfer you to another soul when the time comes. I found out that the book Dumbledore gave us made it sound so simple, but a lot of things could go wrong on the actual transfer if one is not careful. Promise me if you find a dementor's victim you'll owl me immediately. Don't do the spell on your own. I'll come home as soon as I can and I'll help you go through with it."

"No problem," said Harry. "It's not like I'm in a hurry. So far, no one's been a victim of those creatures. Whatever the Aurors did to keep those dementors from the escaping is working fine. I may never get another body and I may just have to stay with Ron forever."

Hermione suddenly looked serious. "Don't ever think that Harry."

"Why?"

"Did you read the last two articles I wrote that I sent you? The ones that got published in Healer's Journal about soul and power transfer?"

"Er…" Harry began uncomfortably. The truth was he and Ron had never even touched any of the scholarly journals that Hermione sent them. They looked too complicated.

Hermione shook her head. "Never mind. Look, you remember what I told you that the spell to transfer you to another body is more than just uttering the words. It involves the will, yours and Ron's. Ron has to will you out of his body at the same time that you, Harry have to will yourself to detach from him. It's not as simple as wishing you away to enter another body. You have to know yourselves as individuals or else it can't work. The longer you stay in Ron's body, the more attached you are to each other. And the more attached you are to each other, the harder it is to detach when you need to transfer."

Harry shook their head. He wasn't quite sure what Hermione meant. "What are saying then?"

"Just a warning," she replied. "I know Ron that you have to ensure you don't hate Harry to keep him with you, but make sure you don't forget who you are as individuals either. Harry, you're not Ron. You may live in him, but you're a different person capable of living your own life. When the time comes you have to leave him. And Ron, you're not Harry and you will never be Harry. That's why I got scared when you turned your hair and eyes like Harry's. It's like you're almost wishing to be one person. I was afraid you're being too attached to each other."

"All right, we'll never do it again," said Ron. "I'll ask Maddy to get rid of Harry's scar and put my own back. Don't worry Hermione, I think I'm still too Ron to be Harry."

"Let it stay that way," replied Hermione. "I have to go. I have an herb class in five minutes. I'll floo again soon."

"All right, take care," said Harry. "Oh, wait, Hermione! What happens if we get too attached to each other?"

Hermione shrugged. "Well you may never truly live without each other anymore. You'll just stay that way forever, as one person. But would you really want that?"

There was a distant bell tolling and Hermione bid them goodbye. Harry and Ron drew away from the flames and silently headed for bed. As Ron drifted off, Harry kept awake. It wasn't really bad living in Ron. The last eighteen months had been one of the best in his life. He had never felt more alive and free than when he became one with Ron. And if he did have a new body, it could be another uncertain life for him. Was it really worth it to be just plain Harry again without Ron?

**A/N: This has got to be the hardest chapter I've ever written. I knew I had to fast track the time line to a year and a half because nothing much will be happening to the character's lives. It was hell trying to put together all the details of what happened to them in those missing eighteen months. But anyway, I hope this satisfies that gap.**

**A couple of notes:**

**Eskwela de Engkanto – literally translates to School of Magic**

**Siquijor is a real island in the Philippines. It is known for its abundance of mystics and healers. **

**About Christianity and magic. I'm Catholic and I had no intention of making any statement on religion in this story. I was just stating a fact that if you trace Western history, witch persecution is linked much to Christianity. In the case of the Philippines, a country that has imbibed Christianity due to 300 years of Spanish domination, somehow the religion has been interlaced with earlier pagan beliefs. You'll find that a lot of faith healers in the Philippines actually use Catholic prayers as part of their healing rituals. People are deeply religious and proclaim to be Christian but old pagan rituals and beliefs somehow mix with religious practices. This has nothing to do with the story, but I just wanted to inject a little tribute to where I'm from. **

**On Magical Signatures. I got this idea from a discussion board about how magic exists using the concept of genetics. I was thinking that all humans have certain energies imbibed in their souls, except that among witches and wizards these magical energies are more dominant. They are like genes that get passed on from parent to child, but they are not imbibed physically, meaning it's not in the blood. (That's why the pureblood advocates were wrong). With muggleborns like Hermione, it was just chance that both sets of her parents carried dominant energies, but not strong enough to become magical themselves. When they combine their energies to produce an offspring, however, it produces a muggle born witch or wizard. Only a select few learned people in the Magical Western World are aware of the existence of magical signatures. Aurors, for instance already use it to identify people. But this is a relatively new knowledge so its uses are not so widespread.**

**I am grateful to all those who reviewed and continue to read. **


	21. Maddy

**Chapter Twenty-One**

**Maddy**

DEATH EATER ON THE LOSE SIGHTED IN LONDON

Draco Malfoy, a known Dark Lord supporter and son of convicted Death Eater Lucius Malfoy, was sighted yesterday at Knockturn Alley. Two hags positively identified the fugitive coming out of Borgin and Burkes at half-past three in the afternoon, but he disappeared before the authorities arrived. 

A handful of Aurors questioned Mr. Borgin, who at first denied seeing Malfoy, but later confessed that he might have sold a cursed packed of cards to a young man with Malfoy's description after Aurors discovered several illegal items in his shop. The shopkeeper was detained for his possession of banned goods but gave no other details to Malfoy's whereabouts.

Ron skipped the next parts of the report detailing Malfoy's criminal history and tossed the Daily Prophet aside. J.D. caught it from behind him and perused through it.

"He's lying," said Harry. His co-trainees all looked up at him. "Borgin knew exactly what Malfoy looked like. Lucius Malfoy's been taking Draco to that shop for years. Bet he even knows where Malfoy's been hiding all this time."

"Do you care to make a statement to the Aurors then?" de Lancre sneered at him. He was leaning against his locker in his impeccable robes and perfect hair. "We did not know we had a witness here in our midst."

Ron glared at him. "Well maybe I will," he said. "Anything to nail down another high-nosed prat is fine with me. The fewer pain-in-the asses in this world, the better."

"Cut it out, you guys!" Padma intervened. "We're going to be late for the ceremony." She cast a longing look on the French boy then began shuffling people out of the locker room.

Harry and Ron turned away from their adversary and checked their hair one last time in the mirror. Ron had to admit, he looked good in these crisp navy blue robes. He felt proud that he and Harry had gotten this far. Today they would be declared Junior Aurors and were privileged to wear the official Auror uniform.

"Come on Ron, let's go, we don't want to be late," Alicia urged. She and J.D. were waiting at the door.

"Okay, I'm coming," Ron replied, giving the top of his head a final pat.

"Wait! Ronald, you cannot go out zhere looking like zat!" Maddy came to him and prodded at the collar of his robes, straightening out the miniscule wrinkles that he and Harry already considered passable. "Go on! We will follow," she added to Alicia and J.D. The older girl gave her friend a smile and tugged at J.D.'s hand.

Ron snickered. "I can't believe those two are dating!" Alicia and J.D. had announced just this morning that they were a couple. It came as a surprise to Ron, Harry and Maddy. In the more than eighteen months they had spent together, Alicia and J.D. didn't even show the slightest hint that they were involved. "Now I understand why they always left us out to team up with Blake these last two weeks. That guy is so dense; he won't see a romance right before his eyes. It's a wonder he's a Junior Auror."

"Are you dizappointed?" Maddy asked.

"Of what? Blake?" said Harry.

"No, not Blake," she shook her head. "Zat we are alwayz left to team up cauze J.D. and Maddy are alwayz togezher?"

"Why would I be disappointed with that? Besides, we make a pretty good team," replied Harry.

"We are getzing permanent partners after ze ceremony," she said. "You zhink zey will assign us togezher?"

"Maybe," shrugged Ron. "Perhaps we could choose partners, just like in every mission."

"I 'ope zo," said Maddy as she gave a last tug. They left in the room and they walked together to the grounds. "Would you be my partner zhen?"

"Of course," both Ron and Harry said together. "Who else would I go with? I'd rather be with you," added Ron.

"I am glad."

They were almost out into the open field to join their co-trainees when Maddy suddenly pulled them back, leaned over and kissed them on the cheek.

"Zat's for… congratulations!" she said almost too quickly. She pushed pass them to join the others.

Ron's eyebrows shot up knowingly.

"_What?"_ asked Harry.

"_You think she likes us?"_

"_Maddy? Well… er… maybe. Do you like her?"_

"_Yeah, sure I like her as a friend. She's nice and all but she reminds me too much of Ginny. It would be wrong for me. She feels too much like a sister." _Ron narrowed his eyes. _"Wait, do you like her?"_

"_No," _Harry replied.

"_Oh come on Harry, we're mates here. I know you feel like you're stuck here with me, but I don't mind you dating. Just don't go into the intimate stuff until you get a body of your own. I don't want to snog her just because you do."_

"_Oh bugger off, Ron. I don't even like her that way."_

Ron chuckled. He felt pleased with this new idea. Harry had such little love in his life, it certainly wouldn't hurt if he had something to look forward to when he finally divorced from Ron's body. Maddy, Ron knew, would not only be a comfort to his best friend when the time came, she could also assure him Harry would have no feelings whatsoever for Hermione other than friendship.

Ron didn't dwell on the thought too long as the ceremony began. Ron couldn't be prouder when the Chief Atalanta pinned their official Junior Auror badge.

When Ron and Harry glanced down, they realized the Auror Chief had actually pinned two badges, one discreetly tucked under the other. It warmed their heart that at least the Auror Chief acknowledged them both as separate individuals deserving of the ranks.

The ceremonies were followed by lunch, after which they were told to report to Shacklebolt at the Auror headquarters at the Ministry of Magic. They arrived promptly at one and were greeted by the other Aurors, now their own colleagues.

"All right, break it up," Shacklebolt said when the cheers became too loud. "To business. First order is the subject of partners. I will be assigning you permanent partners. You will be working closely with your partner on all tasks assigned to you including regular prison guard duty at the labor camp for convicts and spell reinforcing tasks at Mortis Island where the dementors are kept. In addition, your partner will be your lifetime back-up in all missions and assignments. You will have to learn to trust him or her with your life. Are we clear on this?"

They all responded their assent. Shacklebolt read from a parchment beginning with Blake. He was paired with Padma. She cast a disappointed glance at de Lancre. She was hoping to be paired with him.

"Boot. You're with Dindarte."

Maddy looked sadly at Ron and Harry. They weren't worried. Terry was quite capable as an Auror. Maddy was in good company.

"de Lancre…" The boy strode confidently up near Shacklebolt, well aware of the hopeful glances he was getting from almost all the new Junior Aurors.

"You're with Weasley."

"WHAT!"

"WHAT!"

Shacklebolt raised a transparent eyebrow and looked from Ron and Harry to their new partner. "I said you're with Weasley. Do we have a problem with that?"

"Yes, I do. Why 'im?" de Lancre complained.

For the first time, Ron and Harry completely agreed with him.

"It is not your business to know why. The Auror faculty has already assigned these. You can accept it or leave the force."

The ghost continued pairing everyone up and ignored Harry, Ron and de Lancre's glaring contest. When it was over, he assigned them schedules for prison duty and spell reinforcement for the new dementor prison island. As expected, Ron and Harry's schedule didn't have the latter.

"_Damn it, she still doesn't trust us!" _Harry raged inwardly. _"And what the hell was she thinking assigning us to that French bastard. Does she expect us to be chummy with him all of a sudden?"_

"_He'll more likely stab us to death, if we weren't looking," _Ron agreed.

"Report here tomorrow for your first assignments. Congratulations again. You're dismissed," said Shacklebolt.

The other Aurors began moving towards the exit. But Harry and Ron followed Shacklebolt before he disappeared into ceiling.

"Kingsley, wait!" Harry called softly.

The ghost stopped his ascent. "Mr. Weasley, may I remind you that I—"

"Please, as a friend," Harry said.

Shacklebolt looked around. "Outside, the atrium."

Harry nodded and he and Ron went out to the entrance of the Ministry and waited by the still un-repaired Fountain of Magical Brethren. The ghost soon appeared through the water and hovered beside them.

Ron drove straight to the point. "Kingsley, Harry and I don't need a partner. There're two of us already in one body, Chief knows that!"

"Exactly, you only have one body. That's your liability. It doesn't matter how fast you can cast hexes or send two spells at the same time. If your physical body gets impaired during a mission, that's the end of it. You need someone to back you up."

"But why de Lancre?" asked Harry. "Everybody knows we hate each other."

"Orion de Lancre is the only one among your Auror batch that can go up to par with what you can do together."

"But Maddy—"

"Madeleine Dindarte is good in her own right. She's brilliant at potions and using innovative charms, but she isn't good enough at direct assault, at least not on the level you've shown. She will be given more tasks in areas that will suit her abilities—in a laboratory more likely. You and de Lancre, on the other hand, will be given field investigations. Remember, at this point, you Junior Aurors have to specialize on you strengths. Right now, we can see your potential for tracking and apprehension. Tomorrow, you will be joining the team pursuing the last of the death eaters still at large."

"We get to hunt down Malfoy?" Ron asked excitedly. "Cool. I've always wanted to be the give that ferret what he deserves."

"Yes, and you will be doing it with de Lancre as your partner," said Shacklebolt.

Harry and Ron grumbled.

The senior Auror shook his head. "Look, Ron, Harry, there's nothing I can do about this. I don't set these things. But I do think you should give de Lancre a chance. You can do so much if you work together. You're the best recruits I've seen for the longest time. If it's any consolation, I know for sure that the Auror Chief thinks you both got what it takes. We've been monitoring your separate performances and so far, you've done more than most recruits individually. I'm sure that if Harry gets a body, you'll both still be retained in the Force. You're too good to lose."

"But she still doesn't trust us with the dementors," said Harry scathingly.

"I'm sorry," said Shacklebolt. "I admit I don't agree with the Chief on that decision. I know she doesn't want to lose your abilities. She'd keep you that way if she had her way."

"Well she bloody won't get it," said Ron. "I'll find Harry a body soon then we can show her we're more than she expected."

"I hope so too. Now get out of here. Go on home to Molly and Arthur and show off those badges. You both deserved them."

Harry and Ron thanked him then apparated to the Burrow's kitchen where Molly greeted them with open arms and kisses. Ron turned red yet extremely pleased with his mother's pride.

"Now go to the living room, be dears and entertain the guests," she said. "I'll be finishing up with the feast."

"Guests?" Harry asked. "Who are we expecting?"

"Why the whole family of course," said Molly. "But only Bill and Fleur are here yet with a friend. She said she knows you, Ron."

Ron and Harry headed towards the living room where Bill and Fleur and were chatting by the fire. There was another girl next to Fleur who looked uncomfortably like a fifth wheel.

"Maddy? What are you doing here?"

"Fleur invited me. She wants me to share something special she eez announcing tonight with Bill." She flashed Fleur a knowing glance.

Ron smiled. _"They're finally going to do it."_

"_About time too."_

Bill and Fleur had been going out for so long the entire Weasley clan knew they would be married soon. But events seemed to always put it off. After the deaths of loved ones at the final battle, the young couple had to contend with Order duties and monetary problems that made it impossible for them to hold their dream wedding. It took them a year and a half of working and saving to finally regain financial stability.

After Bill and Fleur gave their greetings, they excused themselves with some lame pretext that Bill wanted to give Fleur a tour of the backyard.

"More likely he wants to tour Fleur in the backyard," Ron sniggered. Maddy laughed with him.

"I am glad you are 'ere. I know zhey were dying to get rid of me but were too polite to leave me alone. Where did you go today? You dizappeared after Mr. Shacklebolt dismizzed uz."

"I followed Kingsley," explained Harry. "I wanted to ask about my new _partner_," he spat the last word harshly.

"Orion ask Moody 'bout zat too. 'e wants anyone else but you. I do not know what Moody said, but I waz sure Orion did not get what 'e wanted. 'e was so angry when 'e left ze 'eadquarters."

"Well, it looks like I'm stuck with the bloody tosser." Ron and Harry added a few more colorful adjectives to describe de Lancre. It felt good just to talk about it to someone who understood and didn't mind if they swore too much.

"You will be fine," she said confidently. "Orion just likes to show off."

Ron thought that was an understatement. "So you're here for the engagement?"

"Yes, I am ze only old friend Fleur 'as 'ere. She cannot resist not telling. She told me zhey are getting married in Easter—just zhree weeks from now. I am to be 'er maid de 'onour. Bill eez making you best man, cauze Fleur zaid 'e cannot decide between your other two bruzzers."

Ron was tempted. _"Best man, meaning me and YOU, Harry, get to dance with her."_

"_Ron, I told you, I'm not interested."_

Ron huffed at him and had an idea. "Hey, want a game of chess while waiting for the food?" he offered Maddy. "Let's see if you can beat me this time."

"Oui, let us see," replied Maddy, rising up to the challenge.

Ron summoned his old chess set, but this time he took white, instead of his usual black.

"_Uh, Ron, you're letting Maddy take your black."_

"_Sure, she can play my side. You get to play against her."_

"_What? You're not helping? She'll pulverize me. You know how competitive she gets with chess, especially since you've never let her won."_

"_Well she gets to put me down for once. Good luck, Harry!"_

"_I'll get you for this, Weasley!" _Harry threatened, but Ron knew it was futile. Harry played her and despite all pleadings for reinforcement, Ron didn't say one word to help him out.

Maddy was vicious. She took all of Harry's major pieces in twelve moves; on the thirteenth, she checkmated him.

She gave a shriek at her victory and bounced up and down in her chair, her face flushed and her shoulder-length hair flying.

"_You know, Harry, she can be pretty when she wants to."_

"_Oh shut up!"_

"_Don't be a sore loser. Just think about it. Think about Maddy," _he teased.

Harry slammed a pillow at their face.


	22. First Day

**A/N: **My extreme apologies for the delay in updating. I haven't had time to write for a very long time due to my comprehensive exams in-between my part-time job. I'll be having more time this summer (in my country, summer is from April to May) and I'm aiming to finish this fic before the July release of book 6. Hope you enjoy this chapter. I'll try to update the next one soon. No Hermione in this chapter, but I'm putting her on in the next one.

**Chapter Twenty-Two**

**First Day**

"Morning Weasley! You're early."

Harry didn't even think. He just hit the floor, set up a shield charm and prepared for the worst.

He and Ron waited.

And waited.

And waited some more.

Harry decided to throw caution to the wind and look up.

A young Auror he knew only too well was looking down at them with a mischievous grin. Harry glanced around. There was nobody there, but he knew it could be another trap. Somebody could be hiding behind the next cubicle waiting to strike.

"Relax, Weasley. It's over. You're a Junior Auror now, you're one of us." The older Auror held out a hand to him.

Harry continued to eye him doubtfully. The blond young man chuckled. "You are paranoid," he said.

Harry slowly got up the floor but kept his guard. "That's because you always take it out on me," replied Ron sarcastically.

"I also take it out on the other kids, Weasley. But you're a challenge and I always love a challenge. You almost always foil my best tricks."

"That's because I have two older brothers who can make your tricks look like child's play," Ron retorted.

"Of course, I've heard of them—Fred and George. They were only in their first year at Hogwarts when I was in my third and they already beat my reputation as best pranksters. If I wasn't an Auror I would be begging them to give me a job at their joke shop." His expression turned serious. "But come now mate, no hard feelings. Sorry if I caused you lots of trouble. Let's start fresh, shall we?"

Harry was ready to forgive, but Ron refused to lower their eyebrow. "Are you sure there are no more jokes, Kelley?"

"Auror's promise. And call me Edward. We're colleagues now and we're on the same team. Best one there is in my opinion, but don't go spreading that around. Moody heads it so we get all the top cases. Right now, the Malfoy hunt is up so we get that one."

Harry relaxed and he felt Ron did as well. "How many of us are there?"

"Seven, including you and your new partner. Normally, they keep it even, but since Shacklebolt died, they haven't found a replacement. I think they did that out of respect for him. He still comes in occasionally when we brainstorm for strategy but he's not officially part of the team anymore. You'll get to meet the rest later. Right now, my task is to introduce you to your new space."

Kelley led them to a cubicle fitted with a new yellow label and blue lettering that said: WEASLEY, R.

"Make yourself at home. I'll see you later at the meeting." Kelley said before turning to work on some papers at his own cubicle.

"_So this is it, Harry. Our own little laboring corner."_

"_Yeah," _Harry agreed. He noted the bare cork board and the slightly dusty desk distastefully. He'd take deadly assignments anytime rather than stick around and do reports here. He knew eventually he and Ron would have to do some paper work. He just hoped it wasn't that frequent. The less time he and Ron spent time on this desk the better.

Ron stowed their small bag including their Assault Training Guide Book and copy of Ethics for Aurors at one of the larger drawers and took out their wallet. Harry was puzzled for a moment, until Ron pulled out two pictures they kept there: one was of the entire Weasley clan and the other was a picture of himself, Ron and Hermione playing in the snow. Ron tacked both pictures on the board.

"_Might as well make it personal, Harry. All the other Aurors seemed to do that anyway. Something positive to look at when this board gets filled with Death Eater pictures we're supposed to be hunting."_

Harry silently agreed with him. His eyes trained at the giggling picture of Hermione whose hair was being whipped by the wind while she tossed handfuls of snow at picture-Ron's head. Harry wanted to turn away from her image, but Ron kept his gaze. Harry struggled to keep his feelings in check, but he gave in as Ron's emotions poured into him. Ron missed her and longed to be near her as much as Harry did.

"_She's coming home in less than three weeks. Just in time for Bill's wedding." _

Ron nodded. _"You know Harry, I never told her…"_

Harry could feel panic rising out of him. He didn't want to be having this conversation.

"_Something wrong?" _He knew Ron sensed his agitation.

"_Nothing."_

"_But you do know, right? Harry—"_

"_Yes, yes," _Harry quickly replied. _"Come on, let's go. Our first meeting with the team starts in five minutes."_

Thankfully, Ron gave no further questions. They went over to Kelley's cubicle and found Tonks there.

"Wotcher Ron! We're at the conference room in two. Best to get there before everybody does."

"You're part of our team, Tonks?" Harry asked as they walked to the conference room.

"Of course. I may be a klutz but that doesn't mean I can't be part of the top team."

Sure enough Tonks bumped into stack of papers on her desk and sent them sliding to the floor. Harry and Ron moved to help her pick them up.

"Go on," said Kelley. "I'll help her. Tardiness among the new ones doesn't sit well with old Mad Eye."

"Thanks," said Ron with a genuine smile at their former tormentor.

"Wesley," the sneer greeted Harry and Ron once they stepped into the room.

"Hello Lancry," Ron sneered back before taking a seat as far away from their partner as possible.

The French boy scowled. "Look, I do not like this either. But I propose a compromise."

"And what compromise would that be?" challenged Ron. "I look out for you, while you hex me from behind? You wish, Frenchie."

The lines of De Lancre's face hardened. "Name calling? How childish."

"No more childish than what I put up with you," snapped Harry.

Bam! All three of them looked up to see the door burst open. Moody strode in with hard forceful steps followed by Tonks, Kelley and two unfamiliar Aurors. One was a man about Kingsley's age with short brown hair and squared glasses. The other was a younger slender woman early twenties with long dark flowing hair. She could have been pretty if not for the harsh expression on her face.

"You better get your bloody act together boys if you want to be on my team!" Moody barked. "I don't put up with petty rivalries. Anyone who makes trouble in this group can kiss their Auror careers goodbye. Do I make myself clear?"

Harry and Ron glared at their partner but nevertheless murmured a yes under their breath with de Lancre.

"Very well then, I trust you know Tonks and Kelley. These are Philip Fian and Diana Mackenzie. You can chitchat on your own time. Now I want some work done. Kelley, what do you have? Add a little background for our juniors."

Kelley unrolled a scroll of parchment on the table. Well as far as the Malfoy case is concerned, we've got a lead after he was spotted yesterday. Borgin still denies knowing anything about Malfoy, but I suspect he'll crack if we grill him further since he's in hot water himself. We might be able to get a clue if we find out what he's buying."

"Do you reckon he's staying anywhere near London?" asked Mackenzie who had a distinct Scottish brogue. "He can't exactly get into any of the Malfoy apartments in the city. All the Malfoy assets are frozen."

"We can't be certain," replied Tonks. "We've done a routine check on Diagon and Knockturn Alleys. We also made rounds of all magical households in the vicinity and we've got nothing. He may well be outside the city by now if he was able to access a floo somewhere or a portkey. Of course he could also be staying in a muggle place. A hotel maybe?"

Ron snorted.

"Something you want to add Weasley?" Moody asked.

"Malfoy in a muggle place? That will be the day," Ron laughed sarcastically. "Bet he's in torture right now if that were true." Harry laughed inwardly with Ron. He could just imagine Malfoy looking lost and half-scared of the normal muggle appliances around him.

"The boy's got a point," Moody acknowledged, to Ron's and Harry's surprise. "Malfoy's got too much pride, so it's most likely he's in a magical home. Of course, we could never chalk it down that he's desperate enough to swallow his pride. What about exits outside the country?"

"Checked with all international portkey and floo sites. They're locked tight. Unless he left by muggle transport or swam the length of the English Channel, he's definitely still in the country," reported Fian.

"So that's it? Just Borgin as a lead?" asked Moody.

"Yes," replied Tonks. "Ron's told me he knows Malfoy's been coming to Borgin's since he was a kid so the old man's definitely lying when he said he doesn't know him."

"Good then," Moody nodded. "I'm taking the Juniors here and teach them how to intimidate Borgin. The rest of you, check all the Muggle exit points just in case anyone saw Malfoy out."

Harry thought de Lancre didn't need a lesson in intimidation. But he and Ron didn't need it either. They had enough experience dealing with Malfoy over the years to know how to do it properly.

Moody dismissed the entire group. Harry and Ron bid goodbye to Tonks and Kelley then followed the older Auror to the detention center down the hall. They found Borgin in one of the cells.

Moody entered the cell looking more menacing than usual. Borgin immediately cowered in his seat.

"Well, Mr. Borgin, are you ready to talk? And perhaps we'll get the truth out this time."

"I already told your Aurors the truth. I don't know anything about Malfoy. I might have sold something that looked like him, but I don't remember…"

Moody turned to Ron. "This boy tells me you're lying. He says you know Mr. Malfoy."

Harry stared at the cowering man before him but it was Ron who gave him a severe look. Harry could still remember the first and only time he saw Borgin. "Draco Malfoy's been to your shop before, but let me refresh your memory. It's been several years after all," said Harry. "It was what? Six years? Oh yes, I remember. Lucius Malfoy came into your shop with his son and he sold you a couple of items that are quite illegal."

Borgin's eyes darted nervously. "I… I never bought anything illegal… not then… "

"I seem to remember you bought quite a few." He enumerated a list of items he remembered Lucius Malfoy sold that day. Borgin looked even more nervous. But he continued to shake his head.

"Oh and if my memory serves me correctly," Harry added. "You rather praised Draco Malfoy at that time for his taste in an artifact called "The Hand of Glory," an item, I believe which is in the list of Ministry prohibited objects… "

Borgin's face paled. Harry was about to go for the kill when de Lancre stepped forward and turned to the older Auror. "If you do not mind, I think Weasley and I can take it from here."

Moody looked at him in puzzlement.

"Please, allow us?" he asked in a polite manner that Harry didn't even think he was capable of.

He considered for a while, before nodding. "Alright," huffed Moody. "If you think you know what you're doing. But report back to me when you're done." He left the cell.

Harry scowled at his partner wondering what was he up to, but de Lancre merely grinned then sat next to their prisoner as if he wanted to get chummy.

"Tell you what, Mr. Borgin" de Lancre said in a most sympathetic voice. "We'll make this eezy. Tell us what you know and perhaps we can arrange something…" He gave the prisoner a dazzling smile.

"_What is he doing?"_ asked Ron. _"He knows we don't deal with criminals."_

"_I don't know but I don't like it," replied Harry. _"Lancry!" he added out loud, but the French boy ignored him. Borgin was looking up at de Lancre hopefully.

"Alright. He came to my shop to buy a few things. But I don't know anything else. He didn't say anything, just that he wanted a few ingredients."

"What kind of ingredients?" de Lancre asked as if he was asking for the weather report.

"It was a long list."

De Lancre conjured up a quill, ink and a piece of parchment. "This might help."

Borgin hesitated and Harry knew why. If the ingredients were illegal, it could compound his own illegal possessions case.

"Mr. Borgin, we are much more concerned with capturing former Death Eaters than going after such trivial cases. I am sure that if you help us with this little thing, the Ministry might… overlook some things… if you know what I mean."

"Lancry, we don't—" Ron started to protest, but their partner cut him off.

"Don't pay attention to my partner here, Mr. Borgin. Weasley's not quite aware about informants' privileges."

"What informants' privileges!" Harry and Ron both asked.

"See?" de Lancre replied, as if Harry and Ron were a silly child. Harry and Ron continued to glare at de Lancre but their partner shot them a warning look to stay silent. "Now, Mr. Borgin, do not worry a thing." He pointed to the parchment and patted his back for encouragement. The old man looked at him and began writing.

"Is this all?" asked de Lancre when he had finished. The old man nodded. "And you don't know anything at all? Because Mr. Borgin, if you are lying about what else you know…" he added in an obvious hint of warning.

"No, no," assured Borgin. "There's nothing more I know, I swear."

"Very well, then. Thank you Mr. Borgin." He got up and nodded to Harry and Ron to follow.

"You will let me off, will you?" the man asked desperately. "I mean, for all the help I did?"

De Lancre smiled at him from outside the door. "Oh do not worry Mr. Borgin. I am sure you will get what you deserve," he said before gently shutting his door.

"WHAT WAS THAT ALL ABOUT?" Ron shouted.

De Lancre shook his head. "Wesley, Wesley… do not you know the saying: 'You catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.'"

"What informants' privileges were you talking about? There's no such thing. The Ministry's still prosecuting him for illegal possession. He's not going to get out of that one! Didn't you know that?"

"Of course, I do. But Borgin does not. And we even have this," he held up the parchment. "To add to his case."

"So you just lied to him?" Harry said incredulously.

De Lancre gave a snicker. "My, my Wesley, you are thick."

"Well it's hardly ethical!" Harry protested.

"Zo what? I have this. What did you get?"

He walked on leaving Harry and Ron to fume.

Moody was extremely pleased at the results. He sent de Lancre to Department of Magical Law Enforcement who was handling the Borgin prosecution case then sent Harry and Ron with a copy of the Borgin's parchment to Auror Research Division for analysis of the ingredients.

A familiar redhead greeted them at the ARD.

"Ronald! 'ow was your first day?"

"Pretty much alright. You?"

"Wonderful. Terry and I are doing well but very busy. What brings you 'ere?"

"Got something for you." Ron gave her the parchment. "We got that from Borgin in relation to the Malfoy case. Can you tell me if you can make something out of those ingredients?"

"Alright. I will 'ave to look into it. It may take some time. I will send you a memo later if I know anything."

"Thanks, Maddy," said Harry then turned to go back into his office but Ron whipped back again.

"_Harry, I'm gonna do you a favor. _Hey, Maddy!"

"Yes, Ronald?"

"_Ron, what are you doing?"_

Ron didn't reply back, but Harry could feel him grinning inwardly. "If I'm not off to chase anything, you want to meet up for dinner tonight?"

Maddy's face lit up for a second before falling. "I am zorry, Ronald. I want to, but I cannot. I 'ave guard duty tonight."

Ronald put a face of mock disappointed. "Next time then?"

Maddy smiled. "Yes, I would like zat."

Ron waved at her before taking leave.

"_What did you just do?"_ asked Harry.

"_I thought maybe it's about time you asked Maddy out."_

"_I didn't ask her out, you did!"_

"_What difference does it make? I did it for you."_

"_But she thinks it's you who asked her. Besides, what did you do that for? I never said I wanted to go out with her."_

"_Not yet, but you will, Harry. She's a great girl."_

"_If you think she's so great why don't you ask her out for yourself, instead of getting me involved."_

"_Told you before, Harry. She's not my type."_

"_And you think she's my type?"_

"_Could be, you could look great together."_

"_Are you forgetting I don't have a body to look together with her?"_

"_Oh yeah right, I was thinking about the old you. We really should get you a body soon. Maybe we could sneak into Mortis Island when Lancry's on duty and get the Dementors to kiss him."_

"_Tempting, but I figure I'd hate myself if I have to see his face every time I look into a mirror."_

Ron chuckled just as he reached Moody's office. His team leader looked slightly puzzled at him.

"You boys having a laugh?" he asked.

"Private joke, sir," said Harry.

"Call me Moody, Potter. Or is it Weasley? I hope you've patched things up with de Lancre."

"Er, we're… civil," Harry lied.

"And keep it that way," said Moody. "I expect you boys to work it out. Go wait for him then I'm sending you off to help out Tonks and the rest."

Something flew in from the door. It was a memo paper airplane. Harry caught it just as it neared his head and he unfolded the paper.

"The results are in from ARD. That was fast." He read it aloud for Moody's benefit:

To: Auror Investigative Division, Team 1

From: Auror Research Division

Re: Results from Borgin parchment 

We managed to cross reference the list of ingredients you provided and we have concluded these elements are used for the creation of a pensieve. 


	23. Damn French Girls

**Chapter Twenty Three**

**Damn French Girls**

Hermione drank the last of her punch and decided she needed a refill. Mrs. Weasley had quite outdone herself today, she thought. The feast was as predicted, excellent, but somehow the decorations had made it seem more appealing to the palate. Hermione reminded herself to congratulate Mrs. Weasley later. Right now, the happy mother appeared to be rushing to and fro non-stop in an effort to become the perfect hostess. She had told Hermione earlier she had been nervous. The Delacouers were a known elegant family.

"Oh do you think they would see the house too plain? What if the gnomes decided to come back? What would they think? I wish we had better china to offer, but goodness these are the best dishes we have!"

Mrs. Weasley had gushed on and on with worries since early this morning, while Ginny and Hermione assured her Bill's would be in-laws would be alright. Hermione only half-believed her own reassurances. She never really got along well with Fleur, and even though they had a chance to work together during the war, Hermione still believed her to be quite a snob. She expected her family would be the same.

But whether or not the rest of the Delacouers were snobs, Hermione couldn't tell. She certainly hasn't heard of any complaints from the French visitors about the Burrow backyard wedding since they arrived. They seemed to enjoy the feast and talking with the other guests. Or at least, Hermione reasoned, they were good at appearing polite.

In truth, Hermione was bored and feeling a little neglected. She had arrived from Sumatra only last night and she didn't get to see Harry and Ron until this morning. By then they were too busy getting ready for Bill's and Fleur's wedding that they couldn't do more than give her a quick welcome home hug. In addition there was Mrs. Weasley's nerves that needed settling so there wasn't much time for her to share all her exciting news about her travels and the astounding new discovery she had in her field of study.

Hermione sipped her newly refilled cup. There seemed to be nothing much for her to do right now but eat and drink. Everybody's attention was on the newly wed couple having their first dance in the yard. Well at least, most everybody. Fred and George seemed to be taken by Fleur's younger sister. Who would have thought that Gabrielle Delacouer would grow up to like that? Even at fourteen she looked even more eye-catching than Fleur was when they first met her. Fleur herself, however, was completely radiant in Bill's arms, making her look ethereal that Hermione wondered for a moment if Fleur's Veela powers were affecting her too.

A minute later, on Bill's prodding, Hermione watched Ron and Harry stand up and lead Fleur's maid of honor to the floor and began to dance with her. She never knew Ron could dance. She was certain it was Ron doing the dancing, since Harry—as far as she knew—can only walk in a circle and bow. Hermione's eyes never left them as they circled about. Ron and Harry had mentioned Madeleine Dindarte often enough as a classmate and co-worker, but she never thought much about her, until now.

She was pretty, Hermione had to admit. And as she studied the redheaded girl's face, she noticed she looked perfectly flushed. She didn't fool Hermione one bit. The girl obviously fancied _her_ Ron.

There was a breathed sigh and Hermione looked up to see Fleur with a glass in hand just beside her.

"'ermione!" Fleur greeted. "'ow are you? I 'ave not even seen you!"

"Oh hello," said Hermione politely. "Congratulations."

"Zhank you. I am glad you are 'ome for ze wedding. Molly eez such a darling! She made all zhese for Bill and me. Mama and Papa are charmed."

"I'm glad they like it," said Hermione, extremely pleased and made a mental note to tell this later to Mrs. Weasley. She was beginning to think that Fleur wasn't so bad after all.

"Oui, zhey are enjoying zo much. But tell me," Fleur linked an arm around Hermione and moved to whisper closer then pointed to Harry, Ron and Maddy. "Look, zhey are sweet, no? You are friend of Ronald and 'arry for so long. You think 'e likes mon amie?"

Hermione frowned. "He? Do you mean Ron or Harry?"

"Oh either one, it does not matzer."

Hermione changed her mind. She didn't like Fleur at all.

"I like zhem both like bruzzers. But Maddy does not know yet," Fleur explained. "I cannot tell her becauze I promized Bill. Zhey can tell her if zhey want, eet eez zheir secret."

Hermione felt a little bit better that at least that was one piece of information she was privy to that Fleur's friend was still in the dark. She looked up to see that Harry and Ron had brought their partner back to the table and were headed her way. She was certain Ron was going to ask her to dance.

She was about to excuse herself from Fleur and move to meet him when somebody slid in front of Hermione, and all she could see was a mass of perfect blonde hair.

"Ronald Weasley, do you remember me?" a sugary sweet voice piped up from the fountain of hair.

"Er…"

"You 'elped rescue me from ze lake at 'ogwarts, do you not remember. I was a little girl then. But I never zhanked you."

Hermione stepped around to get a look at Ron and was surprised to see him staring at the girl with a dreamy expression on his face. _What was it with Ron and French girls! First Fleur, then Madeleine, now this! _

Before Hermione could even do as much as tut in irritation, the girl reached out and kissed Ron right on the lips.

"Gabrielle!" Fleur hissed. She pulled her sister away and said something quickly to her in French. Hermione knew a bit of French and understood that Fleur was admonishing her sister for using her Veela powers on her brother-in-law.

"You must excuse my sister," Fleur said apologetically. "She eez quite taken with 'im." She gave a slight giggle to Hermione as if it was something extremely amusing. "Eet eez ze Weasley charm, see?"

Oh yes, the Weasley charm. Ginny had told Hermione about it before. It seemed to be a general trait among the male Weasleys that they become girl magnets from age 18 to their early twenties. Ron was proving to be no exception. He already had fan clubs—at least that was what Witch Weekly reported. Ginny had sent her a few copies several months ago. Ron was on the cover for five times as the celebrated "Boy-Who-Survived." The fact that he was also rich now since word got out that he inherited the Potter and Black fortunes, further fueled his attraction to the female wizarding population.

Fleur excused herself and made off with her sister in tow who was looking disappointedly back at Harry and Ron. Hermione turned to her best friends and saw them with that same goofy expression. Hermione rolled her eyes and stomped away. She went into the house and ran up to the steps, eager to be as far away from Ron and French girls prowling around him.

She reached the top floor, entered Ron's old bedroom and collapsed into his bed feeling utterly miserable.

For several minutes she remained still in the darkness, before the door turned on its own and Ron and Harry walked in.

"Why are you hiding up here? Harry and I were looking for you everywhere."

"Nothing, I just had a bit of a headache. It's too noisy and crowded," she lied.

"Look, Hermione," one of them began and Hermione could tell it was Ron from his intonation followed by the usual reddening of his ears. "About… what happened back there… We weren't expecting that. It all sort of went hazy you see…"

"I know," Hermione replied lamely. "It's the Veela powers."

"Right. I mean she's not really—I mean she is just a kid. It's not like we fancy her that would be just… she's a kid!"

Hermione could tell that Ron was sincere enough. Of course, she couldn't completely rule out that Ron was attracted to her, but at least he was making an effort to clear things. _He did come up here on his own accord_, she thought. _Or it could have been Harry who suggested it,_ another voice at the back of her head said, but she quickly suppressed it.

"Forget about it." She motioned for them to sit down.

They settled on the bed next to her. "We're sorry if we haven't talked much since you've arrived, but you can tell us all about your trip tonight. You are moving into the guest room this week?"

"Of course."

"Good then," they said. "We came over here to talk to you. We haven't seen you in six months and we haven't even talked… or danced."

Hermione's heart fluttered. She didn't care if it was Harry or Ron who was suggesting it. She'd take up the offer for all it's worth. "Alright." She stood up but they shook their head.

"We don't have to go back down immediately. It is too crowded down there and Fred and George are going to be on to us about Fleur's sister the minute we appear again."

"Oh, alright," she replied disappointedly. "I suppose we could wait."

But Harry or Ron stood up and took her hand. "No, I mean. How about just dance with me—I mean us, here. We can hear the music fine, anyway."

Hermione smiled. That was even better. She moved to step into the arms of her two best friends but she stopped mid-stride. There was an urgent rap at the door.

"Ronald, are you zhere?"

The door opened and Hermione smirked when she saw Madeleine Dindarte.

"Oh I am sorry to interrupt," she said looking between Hermione and Harry and Ron. "But zher is an emergency. All ze Aurors need to report back to 'eadquarters!"

"Why, what's wrong?"

Hermione noted that they sounded just as irritated as she was.

"Zhere 'as been a prisoner escape!"

"Escape? Where?"

"Maximum security," replied Maddy. "'urry, we 'ave to be zhere!"

Harry and Ron looked at her. "Sorry. We'll see you tonight? We better go tell Bill we have to leave early." They hurriedly followed the French girl down the stairs.

Hermione trailed behind them, eager for more information. She was about to call Ron and Harry to stop, but they was too busy paying attention to their co-worker to even take a second glance at her.

"Who was it?" she heard Harry or Ron ask. "Who escaped?"

Hermione struggled down the stairs to follow them but what she heard next made her stop.

"Antonin Dolohov."

**A/N: This one's a short one, but I couldn't resist putting a little scene with Hermione piqued at Ron's new popularity with women. I've figured Ron would eventually grow out of his lanky awkward phase. Now he's got everything he always envied Harry had: money and popularity. I threw in good looks and charm as well.**

**Thanks for all those who have stayed to read this story and for those who reviewed. **


	24. Strange Escape

**Chapter Twenty Four**

**Strange Escape**

Ron and Harry burst into the doors of the Auror Headquarters with Maddy. There was a lot of activity at Headquarters and Aurors kept apparating out. Harry sighted Moody who motioned for him to follow at the conference room. Kelley and de Lancre were already there.

"Shouldn't we be apparating to the prison now?" Kelley asked Moody as soon as he stepped in. This will be part of our case now, won't it?"

Moody held up a hand in a bid for patience. He looked extremely upset. Harry immediately knew something was very wrong. "We'll wait for Tonks, I need to brief you all before I send you out."

Tonks came barreling in, in her usual clumsy. "What did I miss?" she asked cheerfully.

"Sit down, Tonks," Moody said evenly. "That also goes for the rest of you."

They all followed. It was only then that Harry realized there were only five of them in the room. Where were Mackenzie and Fian? If they didn't appear soon Moody might just throw a fit. He and Ron learned that the hard way when they came in two minutes late for debriefing a couple of days ago.

Moody paced about for a minute then breathed a forlorn sigh. "Fian's dead," he said simply. "He and Mackenzie were assigned to Maximum Security this morning. He was found less than an hour ago by the next Auror shift. At the same time we discovered Dolohov escaped."

Harry was stunned. He and Ron had never had a chance to know their other two teammates that well. They have never spoken outside the reporting sessions with the entire team. Still, it was unnerving to know they had just lost a member of their division. Tonks and Kelley appeared more affected by the news. Harry noticed tears glistening in Tonks eyes.

"And Diana?" Kelley asked fearfully. "Is she also…"

Moody shook his head. "We can't find her. She may have been abducted by Dolohov and whoever helped him escape." His face hardened. "I want to get to the bottom of this. There's an initial group sent there to secure the area, but Atalanta's already thrown the case to our team. Go to it now. I'll deal with the Ministry. I want updates by the end of the day." Moody dismissed them and they apparated out together.

The new Wizarding Maximum Security Prison was located on an isolated and unplottable plain, surrounded by mountains. Like the Auror Academy, only Aurors were allowed to apparate into it directly. Visitors needed passes from the Auror force to enter it via specialized portkey. Since the new prison was established no one has yet to apply for a pass. It wasn't surprising. None of the former Death Eaters had ever had received visitors.

The prison looked exactly like a Muggle prison complex. Its high perimeter fences were reinforced by magical wards. Another building housed the prisoner's individual cells, also reinforced by magic as well as solid steel bars. The prisoners were let out each day to work in the fields within the grounds. They were assigned to tend gardens. They grew vegetables and other crops for their own consumption and did other chores for the complex's upkeep. It puzzled Harry at first why the Ministry's new idea of capital punishment was to turn the former Death Eaters into farmers and custodians. But then Ron had explained that in the Wizarding World edible crops, unlike magical herbs were grown with magic or by elves. It was unheard of for a Wizard or a Witch to till the soil the muggle way and wait for crops to grow for months when a flick of a wand or a potion was all that was needed to get instant vegetables and fruits in just a few days. Similarly, all household tasks were accomplished with magic.

Harry had remembered what Dumbledore said about this kind of punishment and understood what he meant when he said that the Death Eaters would suffer more in the lost of their powers. When he and Ron first saw the prisoners on their first guard watch, he saw the humiliation in their faces. They were reduced to the very beings that they wished to destroy. Now they were muggles too for life, condemned to labor they always thought was inferior to their status.

When they got to the complex, there was already a group of Aurors stationed at every corner to secure the area. Harry and Ron, de Lancre, Tonks and Kelley immediately set to work on gathering whatever facts they could get at the scene. As was the standard procedure, Fian's body wasn't moved from the spot where he was found just outside Dolohov's cell.

Harry noticed Tonks' and Kelley's hesitation at seeing their former teammate, so he and Ron and de Lancre took upon the task of checking the body.

"Oh hell!"gasped Ron when de Lancre uncovered the sheet draped on Fian's body. Harry felt his mouth dry at the sight before him.

There was a large cut at Fian's neck. A slash curse no doubt. There was no other evidence of injury. Whoever hit him only had one shot but it killed him immediately.

De Lancre hurriedly covered him back and surveyed the hallway. "Curse came at him quickly," he said gravely. "He felt almost no pain."

Harry wasn't sure whether if de Lancre was only stating that for investigative record or offering a sort of consolation. He was more likely to believe the former.

"No blood on the walls," observed Tonks. Indeed, the entire hallway was spotless except for a small pool of blood collected near Fian's body. "Somebody took the time to clean," she added.

They found a large hole on the wall of Dolohov's cell. It was blasted apart. "Looks like a spell to me," Harry said. "Dolohov obviously got out with help. He couldn't have done this the normal way."

"Normal?" de Lancre turned to him, puzzled.

"_Harry, the magical way IS the normal way."_

"I meant Muggle way. Without magic."

De Lancre continued to raise an eyebrow at them but turned to Tonks and Kelley. "Who had the last shift before Fian and Mackenzie?"

"We did," replied Kelley. "We were here from two to six. We left them just fine. Everything was all in order. We reinforced all the wards as usual, made the rounds of the prisoners in their cells. It was just routine. If I had known Philip would be…" he shook his head. "This is just so horrible. We talked to him just hours ago..."

Tonks looked as ashen as her partner. "He was nice, you know. Just like Kingsley. He was like a big brother to us when we first came in. He and Kingsley showed us around after he stopped pulling pranks at us when we became Juniors."

"You think Diana's...?" Kelley began, but he didn't dare finish it. They all knew what he was thinking. She could be dead too.

They were all silent for several moments before they decided to get back to work. They split up to make checks and interviews with the stationed Aurors and with the prisoners. When they met again late in the afternoon at headquarters they compiled what they had. Nobody had heard anything, not even the prisoners who were apparently still sleeping at that time. Their day usually started at seven and it fell on Mackenzie and Fian to start them off on breakfast chores. But today no one let them out that morning.

"There doesn't seem to be any sign of forced break-in aside from the one in Dolohov's cell," said Ron. "How could someone get in here? Aurors are the only ones with access. Whoever got in here is really good."

"Maybe," said de Lancre. "Or it might be an inside job."

"Are you saying an Auror…" began Kelley.

"We never know," replied de Lancre. "What do you know of Mackenzie?"

"Are you accusing her of doing this?" Tonks stormed indignantly. Kelley looked just as angry.

"No, I am only checking all angles," de Lancre said calmly. "That is procedure. What do we know about her?"

Tonks huffed grumpily. "There is nothing to worry about Diana. She has been in the force for more than fifteen years. She has a clean record. Moody and even Chief Atalanta can vouch for that. She was originally from the ARD, but when Kingsley's and Moody's partner died they transferred her to our team to be Fian's partner. Edward and I have known her since we entered the Academy. She wouldn't do this to Philip. She couldn't. Satisfied?"

"For now, yes," replied de Lancre. Tonks and Kelley glared at him.

Harry understood Tonks and Kelley were upset at this line of questioning. However, as much as he trusted them on their judgment of Mackenzie's character, at the back of Harry's mind he knew his partner had a point. He had learned long ago that a clean record was not a total guarantee that one can never be capable of doing something like murder. Tom Riddle after all, had a clean record too at Hogwarts.

"Are you sure you didn't see anyone else before you left?" asked Ron, who seemed eager to get off the topic and diffuse the situation.

"No, I went straight out until I got back to headquarters to file the daily report," replied Kelley.

"You weren't with Tonks?" de Lancre asked.

She shook her head. "I let him go ahead. I doubled back because I left something."

"Left something?" de Lancre said with an edgy tone.

"It was just some little item I dropped—nothing important," she added rather hurriedly. "But I didn't see anything either. I left about fifteen minutes after six and everything was still clear then."

"You did not help Edward file the report at headquarters?" asked de Lancre.

"She asked to let me take over just today," replied Kelley.

"I was rushing to get to Bill Weasley's wedding," she explained.

"So we can conclude that whoever killed Fian and got Dolohov out came between six-fifteen and seven," said Harry. "That's not much to go on. They can be anywhere by now."

"Well, there's nothing much we can do, aside from putting up the high alert manhunt status for Dolohov. Anyone want to bet Draco Malfoy's behind this?" said Kelley. "They're probably cozying up somewhere relieving old glory days."

Moody strode in looking as grumpy as ever. "Bloody reporters!" he growled. He threw an afternoon edition copy of the Daily Prophet. Harry caught the headline: "FORMER DEATH EATER LOSE AGAIN, AUROR FORCE AN EMBARRASSMENT."

"This is bound to put us and the new Ministry under pressure," said Moody. "You all know there are people who don't understand this new capital punishment law. If Dolohov kills again, Amelia Bones and the Wizengamot are going to be blamed for eradicating the death penalty. They already have enough on their hands trying to rebuild the economy. They don't need this scandal. Fortunately Fian's death and Mackenzie's disappearance hasn't come out to the press yet. But when it does the Daily Prophet's going to have a field day. What do you have for me?"

They filled Moody in on the results of their investigation. He shook his head. "I don't need to tell you that we need to solve this fast. Atalanta's putting us on high alert and she's putting almost all teams on this case to help us out. I want you to sweep every nook and cranny Dolohov can possibly be until you find something. You're dismissed."

"_Looks like we're up for an all nighter again,"_ said Harry.

"_Too bad, I was looking forward to talking to Hermione," _sighed Ron. _"Best send her an owl. You think she'll be safe alone at the Manor? I mean, you don't think Dolohov would go after her? He might want to get revenge."_

Harry shook their head. _"Not likely, he'll have other problems trying to hide right now. Besides, the Manor is unplottable. It's not likely he'll find it. It's probably even safer there than at the Burrow." _

They headed to their desk and Harry hurriedly scribbled a note:

_Hermione,_

_Sorry we can't come home tonight. We'll be back early tomorrow. Make yourself at home at the Manor. Mickey has your room ready. She'll take care of you. _

_Harry and Ron_

Harry put down the quill, but Ron picked it up again and added at the bottom:

_Don't go out until we get back. Apparate directly from the Burrow to the Manor. Invite Ginny if you want company._

Ron was folding the letter when a shadow appeared. "Weasley," said de Lancre. "I need a word in private."

"So I'm Weasley now?" Ron said sarcastically. "Did your accent finally allowed you to pronounce my name properly?"

De Lancre gave them his trademark smirk but surprisingly didn't rise to the bait. "I need a word outside now before we start our rounds," he said evenly.

Harry and Ron shrugged but followed him out into the hallway that was by now empty of Ministry employees.

"So what's this all about?" asked Harry .

"Just one question. Did you see Tonks at your brother's wedding?"

"What?"

"It is a simple question Weasley. Did you see Tonks zhis morning at your brother's wedding?"

"Why would you care if Tonks went to a wedding? Of course she's there, she's invited."

De Lancre shook his head. "I am not asking if she was invited. I am asking if you saw her there. Now was she there?"

"Why do want to know?"

"Just answer the question."

"_What is he up to, Harry? Of course Tonks was there, was she?"_

Harry thought for a while. He never really paid attention to the guests at Bill's wedding and he tried to recall seeing Tonks."

"_I don't remember seeing her. But I had other things in mind. Did you remember seeing her?"_

"_Not that I recall."_

"Weasley, I am waiting for an answer."

Ron shook their head. "I don't remember alright, there were too many people and I don't go around making checklists of my brother's wedding guests."

"So you did not see her?"

"No," replied Ron. "But that doesn't mean she's not there. Now what are you getting at?"

"Is it not odd?" said de Lancre. "That possibly the last person to see Fian and Mackenzie was not where she said she is supposed to be after she leaves them."

Harry and Ron were immediately infuriated. "ARE YOU ACCUSSING TONKS!"

"No, only checking on her."

"So now she's a suspect?" Ron said hotly. "Well what about Edward then?"

"Edward Kelley was at headquarters just as he said. I already checked."

"Oh, so basically everyone on our team is a suspect. What about me? You suspect me too? What about Moody! Oh, but wait a minute—are you forgetting someone? WHAT ABOUT YOU LANCRY? WHERE WERE YOU THIS MORNING? SLASHING FIAN'S THROAT PERHAPS? THEN RUNNING OFF WITH DOLOHOV AND STASHING MACKENZIE SOMEWHERE! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TRYING TO PROVE!"

"Calm down, Weasley. I am not suspecting you. I know you enough to know that you are not capable of that. In answer to your last question, I am not trying to prove anything. I am only doing my job. Or have you forgotten our basic lesson in investigating? QUESTION EVERYTHING! As for my own whereabouts, I was also at headquarters at that time. You can ask around if you do not believe me. I will welcome an effort for you to investigate me."

"Oh, don't worry, Frenchie, I will," said Ron.

"Good. This has been a fruitful conversation Weasley, but we need to go on and do our rounds. We start with Diagon Alley. If you wish to check on me first with the other Aurors, go on now. When you are satisfied, you can join me. I shall start at the Leaky Cauldron."

He paused and took out his wand to apparate. "Just remember what I said about Tonks," he added before disappearing.

"_Crazy git!" _remarked Ron. _"Who does he think he is suspecting everyone like that!"_

"_Well, we can never be sure—not Tonks of course. She would never do that. But about Mackenzie—"_

"_Hang on! You actually believe that tosser! Potter, are you sure you're alright?"_

"_I'm fine. All I'm saying is that he has a point. We barely know Mackenzie, even if she's been an Auror for a long time. Who knows what she's capable of? There's no evidence of a forced break-in. Neither Dolohov nor any of the prisoners could have escaped on their own and the prison's locked tight. We can't be certain, but there is a chance that Mackenzie could have been behind it. Why? I don't know, but we simply can't rule her out just yet. Or if she was really abducted, there must be a reason. Wouldn't it be easier to just kill her like Fian?"_

"_Alright. We'll make our rounds with Lancry then we'll ask around about her when we get back."_

They followed de Lancre at Diagon Alley and they spent the next several hours making checks and asking questions. Just before dawn they came up with nothing and returned to headquarters, more frustrated than when they started. Moody dismissed them but ordered them back in eight hours. It was still too early for breakfast at home and Ron was complaining that he was hungry so they headed up to the Ministry cafeteria for a quick snack. They found J.D. and Alicia having coffee at a table. J.D. was browsing through the sports page of a muggle paper so the front page was clearly visible to Harry. One small article headline caught his eye: FIVE CHILDREN MYSTERIOUSLY DISAPPEAR FROM LONDON. 

"Rough night?" asked Alicia.

"Yeah," replied Ron. He motioned to a floating kettle above to pour him some coffee.

"I'm sorry about Fian. I know he was on your team," said Alicia.

"Well I didn't know him that well. Same with Mackenzie. But I hope we solve this soon. How was your day?"

"Just starting again," said J.D. who finally looked up from his paper. "Hope we get better luck getting to Dolohov. We're on patrol duty in 15 minutes."

Harry suddenly remembered something. "Were you at headquarters yesterday? You know, when the incident happened?"

"Yes," replied J.D. "We were up all night with paper work, why?"

"Any chance you saw my stuck up partner around at headquarters?"

"Oh yeah," said Alicia. "De Lancre was there. He was on his desk as early as four in the morning and I didn't see him leave at all until Moody called him for your conference. Workaholic that one."

"_Damn!" _Ron said. _"Frenchie checks out clean."_

"_So Mackenzie's the only one on the list. Got any ideas?"_

Ron shook their head and they munched on croissants in silence until J.D. and Alicia bid them goodbye. They stood up to go home but Ron paused to order an extra croissant.

"_You're still hungry?" _asked Harry.

"_This isn't for us. I think I'm onto something," _he said as he a paper bag floated to him. He led them back to the ARD. It was still empty save for one early bird busy at work.

"_What are we doing here? Hermione's waiting for us back at the Manor."_

"_Just a sec, we need info on Mackenzie and we might as well do it now. _

Ron tossed their paper bag of croissant in front of Maddy. She looked up from the stack of parchment she was writing on and smiled.

"Breakfast?" Ron offered. Harry felt Ron give her a dazzling grin. Harry rolled their eyes upward but Ron quickly pulled their eyes back down. They both winced painfully.

"_Cut that out, Harry. We're trying to be charming here."_

"_Oh, no! Not that again! Ron, I do not want to date Maddy. I thought we were here because of Mackenzie."_

"_Yes, we are, but what's the harm in shooting two birds with one stone."_

Harry inwardly gave a sigh of exasperation.

Maddy didn't appear to notice their slight discomfort. "And what do I owe zhis favor?" she asked rather coquettishly.

"Nothing—Actually, we do need something. And I'd appreciate it if you could be discreet."

"Of course Ronald," she replied seriously. "What eez eet?"

"Do you have access to the Auror record files?"

"Yes, why?"

Harry looked around to ensure that no one was there. "I know this might tick some people off, but could you maybe check on Diana Mackenzie's file? I know she's an Auror for a long time but it would help our investigation if we know a little about her."

Maddy nodded. "I understand. But what exactly are you looking for?"

"I don't know. Nothing in particular, but just about anything you can find."

"Alright. I will get it now while no one eez around." She stood up. "Can you wait? I 'ave to search ze file room. Eet may take a few minutes. Wait for me at ze lounge."

Harry thanked her before heading to the Auror's Lounge just outside the ARD. Harry sat on the couch and yawned.

"_I'm tired. We need a bit of shut eye. If I fall asleep, Ron, take over and get us back to the Manor."_

But Harry couldn't wait for a response anymore. He told himself he would just close his eyes for a few minutes. But in the next instant he was fast asleep.

**A/N: **I'm back to being morbid in this chapter and the story will be taking a darker tone in the future. I'm making this up as I go along and I only have a vague plan for the ending. Now how to get to that ending is another story. I will be killing at least one more character for certain, though I may kill off some more along the way, I'm just not exactly sure which ones.

Thanks to all those who stuck with this story even though I have a habit of killing off a lot of characters. I just realized now while I'm typing this that the penname I picked is that of a murderer. If you're familiar with Greek mythology, Orestes was the son of Agamemnon who killed his own mother then killed Neoptelemus, (the son Achilles) to get back his wife, Hermione (the daughter of Helen of Troy). I picked the name because of the latter reason without realizing he's also a killer. Now how apt is that?


	25. Diana Mackenzie

**Chapter Twenty-Five**

**Diana Mackenzie**

Ron watched Hermione in her blue dress robes as she stood near the punch bowl sipping at her drink. She looked just as lovely today as she was when he first saw her in a formal dress at the Yule Ball on their fourth year. How he had wanted to ask her to dance then. But he was sure she would never have said yes. She was having far too much fun dancing with Viktor Bloody Krum. But now he'll show her he, Ronald Weasley, can dance with her just as good as that Bulgarian prat.

He strode up to her and she met his gaze. Her eyes flickered in excitement—a clear invitation that she was eager to dance with him even if he had yet to ask her. He stood just a foot away from her, but somehow he couldn't say a word.

"Ronald," she whispered in a somewhat odd voice.

"Ronald!" she repeated more urgently. The image of Hermione started to dissipate. Ron groaned with disappointment, but then a clearer picture began to form in front of him. But she didn't have the trademark bushy brown hair and her face seemed different.

"I am sorry, but you 'ave to wake up."

Why did Hermione have a French accent? Ron shook his head to clear it and found Maddy in front of him. He found himself sitting up on the couch in the Auror's lounge and he remembered why.

"You got the file?" he asked in a muffled voice. He stretched his arms. He could catch up with more sleep later when he got home.

"Yes," she handed him a folder. "But you can read eet later. Just give eet back to me tomorrow. Orion also came to ask for ze same file. I let 'im look at eet. Eez zat okay?"

"Sure, sure" he replied sleepily. "Damn prat beat me to it but I'm checking just the same."

"You better get refreshed now. Orion said 'e wantz an early start on your roundz."

"Hang Lancry," grumbled Ron. "He can wait. We don't report in another eight hours."

"Ronald, eet eez past noon."

"WHAT!"

Ron was immediately up. He checked his watch and it was twenty minutes to one. No time to even stop by at the Manor.

"Why didn't you wake me?"

"I am sorry, Ronald. You look tired and I thought you needed ze rest."

He shook his head. "Never mind."

"An owl came for you 'ours ago." She pointed to the parchment lying next to him on the couch. "Ze owl was waiting for a response but I did not want to wake you, so I wrote a reply zhat you were resting."

Ron eyed the parchment and saw his name written in Hermione's script. _ "Oh great, Hermione's probably worried about us, Harry. Harry?"_

There was no response. Harry was still unconscious.

"Thanks, Maddy. Really appreciate it," he replied without looking at her. He quickly ran to the corridor near the lift where the nearest fireplaces for flooing were located. There was still enough time to at least floo her. He tore open her letter and paused a bit to read it:

_Ron and Harry,_

_I know you're busy but I'm worried about you. Please take care. Dolohov's still dangerous and I don't care if he doesn't have any magic. Muggles too don't have magic but they have ways that can still hurt other people._

_I'm at your house and I'm very comfortable. I know you put up wards but I added a few just in case. Molly's also reinforced some of the wards at the Burrow. Don't worry about me. I'll wait until you get back. There's so much I want to tell you about what I've learned. I'm sure you'll find them very interesting. _

_Love from,_

_Hermione_

Ron flushed at her words for a minute before reaching for the Ministry in-house floo jar and tossing a handful of powder into the fireplace. He called out Potter Manor followed by Hermione's name then stuck his head in.

When the green smoke began to clear he found Hermione sitting comfortably at their couch reading. She looked up excitedly at him.

"Ron? Harry?" he said.

"It's just Ron. Harry's still out. Sorry, we fell asleep and now I don't have time to get back. I need to report in a few minutes."

Hermione looked disappointed but Ron had the feeling she was eyeing him suspiciously. "I know. I got an owl from that—that girl who said you were resting."

"Yeah, Maddy didn't wake me. Sorry, but I really wanted to come home. Can you wait?"

"Of course, Ron. But I don't have much time. I have to portkey to Delhi tomorrow morning. I've already covered the traveling and I only need to finish my final papers. If I finish it quickly then I can end the program earlier and come home. When can you get back?"

Ron sighed. "In about twelve hours at the least, it could be more. Really sorry I was hoping to get to talk to you before you go again. I'll find a way somehow to get back in time to see you."

"Thanks Ron. There's something I really want to tell you…" She gave him a shy smile, and Ron knew there was a telling "without Harry around" at the end of that statement.

"I'd like to talk to you too," said Ron. He realized this was a perfect opportunity to just say it. He may never have one again. "Hermione, I know this isn't the best time, but I really—"

"Ronald!"

Hermione's cringing expression mirrored Ron's own disappointment.

"Ronald, there eez someone at 'eadquarters asking for you."

"Look, I have to go, Hermione. Talk to you later?"

Hermione nodded sadly.

"Oy," Ron gave her a grin. "I still owe you a dance."

Hermione's face brightened. "Looking forward to it, Ron."

Ron took one last look at her then pulled his head away. The flames extinguished behind him and he turned to face Maddy.

"I am sorry, but there eez someone looking for you."

"Alright."

He stood to go but Maddy placed a hand on his shoulder to stop him.

"Oh, before you go," she began rather shyly. "I 'ave tickets to a Quidditch match on Thursday. Eet eez not ze Canons, just ze Tornados versus Puddlemere. If you don't 'ave to go on ze job, you want to go with me?"

Ron smiled. He might as well give Harry an additional push. He was sure Harry would enjoy a Quidditch match. And maybe Ron could find a way to tire himself out that day so he'd be unconscious and Harry can be alone with Maddy.

_And when he's tired afterwards and unconscious, maybe I'll sneak in a floo alone with Hermione, _he thought.

"Love to," he said.

"Good. I will see you."

"Yeah, Maddy, see you." He headed to headquarters.

"_Ron?"_

"_Harry,"_ he acknowledged. _"How long were you awake?"_

"_Just now, what did I miss?"_ He glanced down. _"Why didn't you let us shower and what are we doing in the corridor?"_

"_We fell asleep at the Auror lounge and now it's almost time to report."_

"_You didn't get us back to the Manor."_

"_No, sorry. Don't have time. We have to go back on duty. "_

Harry groaned. _"Can we at least send an owl to Hermione so she won't worry."_

"_Just flooed her, she's okay. She'll wait."_

"_Oh, alright."_

"_Somebody wants us at headquarters, I don't know who." _

They entered headquarters and came face to face with a woman in bright purple robes with jeweled glasses and perfectly manicured red fingernails. Instinctively they both scowled.

"Ronald Weasley, might I have a word?" she said.

"What are you doing here, Rita?" asked Harry irritably.

"Now, now, is that how you greet an old friend?" she said in her usual haughty tone.

"Old friend?" Ron asked. "I don't recall us even talking to each other before."

"But we do have common friends Ron—may I call you Ron? I am sure Harry dear would have loved for us to chums, as well as his ex-girlfriend Granger."

"Don't presume to know what Harry wants," replied Harry.

"And Hermione was never his girlfriend!" Ron added.

Rita Skeeter didn't appear fazed. "But that doesn't prevent us to be on good terms, doesn't it? I've heard you're part of the team investigating the Dolohov escape. Tell me, what's going on so far? I am sure the Auror force would love to clear its name of being careless. Would you like to make a statement to clarify that?"

"Sorry, Rita. Got nothing to tell you," said Ron, dismissively. "You can just wait for the official Auror bulletin when it comes out."

"Well then," Rita gave a fake sighed. "I suppose the headline tomorrow will have to read: 'Aurors cover up suspicious Dolohov escape.'"

"_Why that—"_

"_Ron, calm down. She's just trying to rile us up into talking and you know we're not supposed to, especially to Rita. She'll twist everything to sell a story."_

Ron took a deep breath and bit his tongue just in case.

"Come now, Ron. I am only concerned about the greater public safety and awareness. Isn't that what you Aurors are also striving for?"

"Indeed we are, Miss Skeeter." Ron and Harry turned to see who spoke. It was their partner looking as calm and collected as ever.

"And you are?" Rita said with obvious interest.

"Orion Pierre de Lancre," he offered a hand for her to shake. "I am Ronald Weasley's partner. How can I help you, Rita—may I call you zhat?"

"Of course, Mister de Lan—"

"Oh, pleeze call me Orion," he said emphasizing his French accent. "We believe we should alwayz 'ave good terms with ze Press, do you not think so, partner?" He gave Harry and Ron a wink, they could do nothing but gave a curt nod.

"Now Rita, when you like a statement, you just come to me. We 'ave ze finest Aurors working on this case round the clock. Ze public has no reason to be worried. Dolohov does not 'ave any powers, so ze Auror force would like to issue just a precautionary measure for all families to lock zheir doors with magic and to set up wards. We will be patrolling zhe streets at night just to be sure everything eez safe. And we will get him soon." He flashed her his signature smile. Ron's jaw almost dropped when he saw Rita blush.

"Ronald and I would love to chat more, Rita. But we are on duty and we 'ave to be on our way to ensure ze streets are safe for ze wizarding population." He placed a comforting hand on hers and gently led her to the door. "Do come visit again soon. We always appreciate our friends from ze esteemed Press."

"Why, yes, of course. Thank you, Orion. I am sure the readers of the Prophet will be assured that you are taking this seriously," Rita replied before she took her leave.

De Lancre turned to Harry and Ron with a condescending look. "Weasley, you must learn how to butter people up. Rashness to the Press can give us Aurors a bad name and we would not want to pull down everyone's reputation, do we not?"

Ron felt like screaming. Neither he nor Harry could come up with a come back for that.

"ATTENTION ALL AURORS!" Chief Atalanta's voice could be heard through a sonorous charm broadcast all over the Ministry. "PLEASE REPORT TO MAIN CONFERENCE ROOM RIGHT NOW!"

Ron and Harry stashed Mackenzie's folder at their desk then ran to the assigned meeting place. They found Chief Atalanta up front with Moody. Sitting next to him was a worried-looking Professor McGonagall. In seconds, the entire room was filled with Aurors.

Chief Atalanta gave a weary sigh. "We have a bigger problem on our hands. Professor McGonagall?"

Professor McGonagall stood and held up a muggle newspaper. Ron noticed it was the same one J.D. was reading this morning. She pointed to the small article at the bottom of the front page.

"These five children that disappeared," McGonagall began. "They're all muggle-born witches and wizards. They were supposed to start Hogwarts this coming term. We sent them letters two days ago, but apparently the letters never reached them. This morning, Professor Dumbledore read the paper that reported them missing, all in one night."

The room began to erupt in worried murmurs and several Aurors began shouting questions. Chief Atalanta held up a hand for silence.

"We cannot be sure if this is related in any way to the Dolohov case," said Chief Atalanta. "But if it is, this could be disastrous. We have to give out a warning bulletin for the public. I want a clean sweep until we find those children and I want their families guarded tight. You're all dismissed. Your team leaders will brief you on your stations."

"_Blimey, it gets worse, doesn't it?" _said Ron. _"If it's Dolohov, he's working fast."_

"_Well it could be Malfoy and another Death Eater army. I hope we get to those children soon before… Merlin, they're children! If he tortures them…"_

"_Harry, don't…" _Ron felt old memories of the war coming back and he was sure Harry was feeling much, much worse. Was it too much to ask for a little peace? It's been barely two years.

Moody set them to do the investigative rounds immediately. There were little clues to find. The children disappeared out of thin air yesterday afternoon to the bafflement of their worried parents. One was just playing alone in the backyard. Another one simply didn't come home from a friend's house just across the street. Still another one disappeared from his own living room while his mother was in the kitchen making a snack. Dumbledore had always placed wards around the houses of muggle-born children as soon as they showed magical powers. It was a mystery then how any one could have apparated in and taken the children away by force without triggering an alarm at Hogwarts and alerting the parents. The only conclusion after hours of making checks with every possible angle they were assigned to cover was that whoever was behind the disappearances had used some magic that bypassed the wards to abduct the children.

By midnight Moody dismissed them to rest until the next day. Ron was eager to go home, but Harry had reminded him there was still Mackenzie's file they needed to go through.

"_Let's take it home, Harry, please. I'm really tired. And we need a shower. It's been two days straight and we have to see Hermione."_

"_Alright."_

They apparated back to the Manor and found Hermione asleep on the couch, a thick book propped on her chest and several rolls of parchment spread over their coffee table.

"_You think we ought to wake her?" _asked Harry.

Ron shook their head. _"No, let's let her sleep. We can work here." _He removed the book and gently placed it on the table. He glanced swiftly at the stack of parchment. He recognized the words of the spell Hermione taught them to transfer Harry to another body in one of the papers that appeared to be a letter addressed to OPD. Ron figured it was probably a subject or a teacher.

They had a quick shower then returned to the living room. Ron sat on the floor, grateful at least that he could watch Hermione, even if she was asleep.

Harry opened the folder and sorted through them.

"_Tonks is right," _said Harry._ "Mackenzie's clean. This woman's downright perfect. Never even had a tardy day in her life."_

"_Brilliant too," _replied Ron as he ran through her bio prior to Auror Academy: Hogwarts Prefect, Head Girl, Outstanding at all O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s. _"She could be Hermione in the 1970s." _

"_According to this, she was originally placed at ARD. She's been there until after the war when she was transferred to Moody's team."_

"_Why would Atalanta do that?" _asked Ron.

"_Pretty obvious. A lot of Aurors had died, remember? They needed people to fill in on the Investigative Divisions. The Ministry's priority is on hunting down former Death Eaters, so they had to transfer their manpower from research to the frontlines. But it doesn't look like she's happy there."_

"_Why?"_

Harry held up several memos. _"Look at these. She's been begging to be transferred back to ARD for months now. But every time her request is denied because they don't have enough Investigative Aurors. Well, not until our batch gets full Auror status. But from the looks of things she may never get back there. Until Dolohov is captured and those kids are safe, they'll need as many Aurors up front as they can spare."_

"_Well I agree with Chief," _said Ron. _"What could possibly be more important than finding escaped Death Eaters." _He flipped through her bio at the section of specialized area of research. "Alternative Magical Defense Development," he read aloud. "What does that mean?"

"It's research on new spells for magical defense," came the murmured response.

Ron found a sleepy eyed Hermione sluggishly sitting up.

"What time is it?" she asked mid-yawn. "When did you get back?"

"About half an hour ago," replied Harry. "We're just doing a bit of homework."

Hermione looked surprised. "Who are you what did you do to my best friends?"

Harry and Ron snorted. "It's still us and yes we are working at home. Had to, but we still think it sucks."

Hermione gave a mock sigh of relief. "That's my Ron. Is Harry awake?"

"Yes, I'm here, Hermione. And you'll be glad to know we do our homework without needing to be lectured. There's no one around to copy notes from anymore."

"Glad to hear that. Now what are you working on?" She plopped herself on the floor next to them.

"Just checking on someone as part of the investigation," said Ron.

"Diana Mackenzie?"

"Yes, she is part of our team, but she disappeared with Dolohov yesterday morning," explained Harry. "Do you know her?"

"Yes, well not personally, but I've read some of her work on the elves."

Ron snorted. "Wait? Are you saying she's also interested in house elves? _It's official Harry, Mackenzie is an older version of Hermione, down to the elf fanaticism."_

"The term 'house elf' is derogatory Ron. And yes, she is interested in elves and has done some studies on them. She's probably the only contemporary researcher on the subject. But frankly, I don't agree on her narrow views that the poor creatures should be fully exploited, even if it is for benefit of new knowledge. I'm rather appalled that she actually tried to experiment on some of her own elves."

"She has her own elves?" asked Harry.

"She mentions in her articles that she has."

Ron quickly flipped though the bio again. "Aha! She's a pureblood. What are the odds that she's in league with Malfoy and she's a muggle hater who kidnapped those children?"

"Children? What children?" Hermione asked.

"You won't like this Hermione," said Harry. They explained to her all the details from Dolohov's escape to the mysterious disappearance of the muggle-borns.

"Right now, we're stumped," explained Harry. "Merlin knows how those children disappeared. McGonagall says Dumbledore's always placed wards. It triggers an alarm at Hogwarts every time those kids come in close contact with a non-authorized witch or wizard until they get their official invite to school. Their homes are not connected to the floo network, we've checked that and the wards could detect any movement by portkey."

Hermione's face scrunched in that familiar way when she was thinking. Mickey appeared just then and offered them a tray of tea and biscuits. Hermione stared at her for a minute then watched until she disappeared again into thin air.

"No!" she gasped.

"Hermione," said Ron. "Mickey is perfectly fine, if you want to give her extra wages—"

Hermione shook her head. "No, it's not that. Don't you see? That was how those children disappeared so easily. They didn't even need access to a floo or a portkey. Someone ordered elves to take them!"

**A/N: Thanks so much for all my reviewers. Reading your comments just inspires me to write more and give extra care on the details that you love. **

**To Peridoth-Plath, I really like writing Orion's character. I wanted a rival for Ron and Harry that can really put them off big time. Malfoy's too much of a push over now for them so I introduced a better one. **

**I have great respect for Hermione. She has her own personality and she has her own role to fulfill here.**

**And yes, I got John Dee from the name of the Elizabethan scientist. He had delved into the magical arts with another fellow named Edward Kelley (in this story he is Tonks' partner). There are other names here that I got from actual historical figures, but I will reveal them later.**


	26. Assault

**A/N: This one's a short chapter, but I don't want you to wait too long. Thanks again to all those who reviewed.**

**Chapter Twenty-Six**

**Assault**

"I just can't believe Diana would do something like this!" exclaimed Tonks.

Ron and Harry had just finished giving a report of their theory with Hermione the previous night to a general assembly of the Auror force. Chief Atalanta was rather pleased with the new development, though Moody appeared to take in the news with less enthusiasm. He had known Mackenzie for a long time and trusted her for her years. He wasn't quite as vocal as Tonks, but Harry could tell, he was just as astounded.

But Mackenzie's involvement appeared plausible. She was the only living authority on elves. And according to Hermione's stock knowledge on the matter, elves have the power to transport a small child at will within short distances. It was part of their abilities that makes them perfect for taking care of children. If that happened to the missing children, they could easily have been taken somewhere from their homes to be transported by floo.

"It's our best lead Tonks," Moody said somberly. "We have to consider it. I'm sorry. I'm assigning the team to search Mackenzie's house. Round up any house elves you find, question them and bring them here for confinement."

"We can't do that, Moody," said Tonks. "Unless they consent to leave the house on their own, we can't make them."

"Well then, is there any way we can put wards around her house so any house elves there can't leave?" He turned to the members of the ARD present. They looked to each other in confusion.

"Isn't there anyone who knows how to keep the house elves in one place?" Atalanta barked.

The senior ARD members all shook their heads.

"Who worked on house elves before?" Atalanta continued.

The head of the division finally spoke up. "No one, Chief. Mackenzie was the only one. We never really thought of assigning anyone else. We didn't think it was important. We all thought it was rather silly she was spending so much time on house elves research."

Atalanta slapped a hand on her forehead in frustration. "Well then find out how! Good job, Weasley. Have your friend coordinate with ARD on what she knows about elves."

She gave out assignments to each team then dismissed them to meet with their own individual team leaders.

De Lancre caught a step beside Ron and Harry on the way to Moody's office.

"I was right, am I not?" he said.

"I don't know what you're talking about," said Harry.

"Did I not suggest before it was an inside job?"

"Oh, so you're taking the credit for this, even though it was _ME _who got the idea about the house elves," stormed Ron.

"Actually it was your friend, who thought of that, did you not say so before? And I pointed you in the proper direction. But you deserve credit and I concede. Congratulations," he said it without sarcasm, but Harry still wasn't convinced.

"Well then you better get used to congratulating me, Lancry," Ron snapped.

"I have no qualms about congratulating you, if you acknowledge me. Stop fighting me Weasley. We can do things better together. I do not like you, but you are my partner. I want to solve this case as much as you do. Work with me and we both benefit."

"That's exactly what I want to hear boys," Harry was startled to hear Moody behind them. He shot him and Ron a warning look.

"I know this will be difficult for you," Moody said as soon as all four of them were seated at his office. "I don't like it either. I've always trusted Diana and I still believe she's innocent. And if she is, I hope she's still alive. But we have to consider this and we have a job to do. We apparate in five minutes."

They returned to their cubicles to leave the non-essentials. Harry and Ron had just finished sending off a memo to ARD on Hermione's contact details, when they noticed Tonks' eyes glistening with tears in the next cubicle.

"Tonks, we're sorry. We didn't mean to accuse Mackenzie."

"It's okay," said Tonks. "It's part of the job. I just couldn't see her doing that to Philip. They were good friends all the way back to Hogwarts. And I just couldn't agree that she could harm muggle-borns. I know she's from an old pure blood family, but she has very tolerant views on muggles. She's always had muggle-born friends. Look at Edward, he's muggle-born and I'm half-blood."

"Well I hope you're right, Tonks," said Harry.

"Has Hermione gone back to India?"

"Just this morning," replied Ron. "Saw her off before we came in to work. But she'll be back soon for good. Just two more months before she finishes her study program."

"She should have been an Auror. She'd be great in ARD. Diana would have loved her as a junior trainee."

Harry and Ron just shrugged.

They met Moody at the atrium. "Just a reminder: house elves can be powerful when they want to be. Nobody knows the extent of it so be careful. Ask them nicely to come and if not proceed with questioning. If they refuse, we leave and guard the perimeter. Prepare for an assault just in case."

They apparated into an area just outside of London. It appeared to be a quiet muggle neighborhood. Tonks led them to a small side street and tapped her wand on a pillar between two houses when no muggles were in sight. There appeared a golden door that Tonks knocked on. There was no answer and she knocked again. After the third knock, she whispered a quick "Alohomora" and the door slid open.

"That was easy," she said.

Inside Harry and Ron discovered a large house, much like Grimmauld Place, but this one was well maintained and had a lively air to it.

"She lives alone?" asked Ron.

"Yes," said Tonks. "She has a brother but he's a squib so he prefers to stay in a muggle house back in Scotland. They're the last two living members of their family. Most of them died out in the first war fighting Voldemort." Tonks emphasized the last statement. "Diana's always invited me here."

"Split up," said Moody. "Look for any information you can find, especially about her research on house elves."

Tonks and Kelley took the upper floors of the east wing, Harry, Ron and de Lancre took right. Moody checked the lower floors and the basement. Harry and Ron found their first stop to be a large library. So far, it seemed deserted like the rest of the house.

"Good place to start," said Ron. "This will take a while."

"You can start Weasley, I will check on the other rooms."

"You're going to leave me here to do all the work?"

"I will come back to help. I only need to secure the area. You do not want us attacked unexpectedly, do you?"

"Then I'll come with you," said Harry.

De Lancre held a hand. "It will take us forever if you do not start that. I will be quick." He took off.

"_He's right, Ron."_

"_Yeah, but he's out there checking for elves and we're here checking books. Where's the fun in that?"_

"_Let's just get started, if he's not back in fifteen minutes we follow him."_

There were hundreds of books on the shelves and for a moment it was a bit disorienting. Everything was neat and orderly like the rest of the house and the library. But as they searched around at her books, they couldn't find any single material on elves.

"_Shouldn't she have a lot of books on house elves if she was so interested in them?" _Harry asked.

"_Yes, unless of course someone got here first and cleared them out."_

"TONKS! What are you doing!"

"_That's Edward! Come on, he may be in trouble!"_ said Ron and they quickly took off running to the east wing. De Lancre came running next to them. But the next sound they heard made them both stop in their tracks:

"CRUCIO!"

The chilling voice was horribly familiar and in the next instant Kelley's screams could be heard reverberating into the entire house. They followed the sound to a long corridor with a dozen doors and there the screams abruptly stopped.

"Where are they?" asked de Lancre.

"I don't know. EDWARD? TONKS?"

No response. "Take that side, I'll take the other," said Ron.

"Be careful," replied his partner.

Harry and Ron took down the first door. It was an empty bedroom. They blasted open the next two. Both were empty.

"AVADA—"

"STUPEFY!" they heard de Lancre shout. They rushed back across the hall and saw Tonks just as she collapsed unconscious to the floor from de Lancre's spell. Harry and Ron rushed to her while de Lancre made a beeline towards Kelley who lay crumpled in a fetal position a few meters away.

"Stay away from her!" he shouted.

"What did you do!" Harry demanded.

"She tried to kill Kelley!" de Lancre turned Kelley over and pointed his wand at him. "Enervate!"

De Lancre shook him. "Kelley? Enervate! Weasley, 'elp me! 'e eez not waking!"

Harry's and Ron's heart was racing but they were beside de Lancre in a flash. Harry found a faint pulse. Kelley was already turning blue. De Lancre administered a respiratory spell. There was a clunk, clunk of wood on the floor and Moody came running in as fast as he could. "What happened?"

"Get 'elp, quick!" de Lancre shouted. "If I release zhis spell, 'e will die!"


	27. Unforgivables and Elf Magic

**Chapter Twenty Seven**

**Unforgivables and Elf Magic **

"I don't care what you think Andrea, Tonks will never try to kill her partner on her own will!"

Ron had never seen Moody this distraught. It was normal to hear Moody shouting, but not with this tone of desperation. And it wasn't everyday that you see Moody arguing with his own boss, now known to the juniors as "Chimaera Atalanta."

"She's trained to resist the Imperious curse, Alastor. All our Aurors are. You can't even get pass your first three months of training until you can resist it. She almost used two Unforgivables. Two! How do you explain that?"

"I don't know. But I know Tonks would not do that deliberately. She told me she was under Imperious and I believe her, there's no other explanation."

"Alright, I won't put her under investigation, but I'm suspending her."

"You can't do that!"

"I won't have a liability on your team or any team, Alastor! Until I'm sure she's in full control of her abilities I can't allow her to go on field."

"And what would I do? I'm left with nothing but two juniors. How do I go on with this case?"

"You're off the case."

"WHAT!"

"This is hitting you too close to home. You've just lost three Aurors in the last three days. Until Kelley gets out of that coma and Tonks is sure of herself I'm letting Team 2 take care of this. The juniors can also use some rest. You've had them running on sixteen hour shifts daily since this started. If this keeps up they won't live to become full Aurors. I'll let them do light patrol duty to watch out for Dolohov and Malfoy if they're not on their regular guard duties. But that's it."

"Andrea!"

"I made my decision, Alastor. Go home and take the rest of the week off!"

Moody grumbled but he got up and made a sweeping gesture to Harry, Ron and de Lancre to follow him out.

Ron and Harry were equally put off and were glad to add to the colorful invectives Moody was letting off when they left the Chief's office. Only de Lancre seemed to keep calm about it.

"I don't care what she says boys. We'll keep a low profile, but I want you to keep all your senses on this case. I'm not resting until I get to the bottom of this. Find out what happened to Kelley and on anything happening with this case. I'll check on Tonks. I can't appear at headquarters for the next few days or else the Chimaera will be on my back. But owl me with regular updates and I'll see you on Monday." Moody turned and walked slowly out the door.

"I will go see to Kelley at St. Mungo's, Weasley. I will update you by owl and I will see you the day after tomorrow at guard duty," de Lancre said as he turned to follow Moody out. "I am really sorry. I know you are friends with Tonks. But you are an Auror. Do not let your friendship cloud your judgment. Remember: question everything."

"_Our judgment's doing just fine, git," _said Ron.

"_Come on Ron, we'll ask Hermione what she knows about elves and maybe she could help out on Kelley's case."_

They returned to their cubicle to grab some papers and found a sealed letter with Ron's name written in elegant script.

_Mr. Ronald Weasley,_

_The Minister of Magic cordially invites you as the special guest for the second year anniversary ball of the defeat of You-Know-Who… _

"What is this?" Ron exclaimed.

"That Weasley," Chief Atalanta answered from behind. "And Potter," she added softly. "Is your first official Ministry function and you are required to attend it."

"Required?"

"Yes. As the so-called "Boy-Who-Survived" you are regarded as a war hero and therefore obliged to attend."

"With all due respect Chief, I don't think a stupid title—"

"That stupid title could help boost the public's confidence about the Auror force that you represent. You are quite aware this trouble with Dolohov is going to hit hard on us and on the Ministry in general when it reaches the press. We need to reassure the public that we can protect them and you're the best reassurance we have. People believe in you."

"So I'm like some image model for the Auror Force and the Ministry?" Harry said hotly.

"Exactly, Potter. You don't have to like it. I never did. But it's only a job. There's nothing much to it. Just appear with a date, dance a little, smile for the reporters and nod your head when they address you."

"You make it sound so easy."

"Would you rather have to deal with the politics of assuring those picky elite families and the members of the diplomatic corps about national security? If you do, you're quite welcome to trade places with me that night."

Ron shook their head. "Alright, I'll appear, but I'm not making any speeches."

"I'm sure there are too many people trying to hog the limelight that night that you won't have a chance for that. And don't worry, half the Auror Force will be there as well. Now off you go."

Harry was suddenly reminded of being a little child being dismissed by Professor McGonagall after a lecture. Nevertheless he was grateful for a break at least.

_Say Ron, it's our day off tomorrow. What do you say we go home to the Burrow tomorrow night? We haven't really spent much time with your family since we took off from Bill's wedding."_

"_Tomorrow? Oh can't. We have a Quidditch match to go to."_

"_Quidditch?"_

"_Yeah, mate. Tornados versus Puddlemere, great seats."_

"_You got us seats for a Quidditch match?"_

"_I didn't. Maddy did. She invited us."_

"_When did that happen?"_

"_Yesterday, she asked us."_

"_Ron…?" _Harry raised their eyebrow for emphasis.

"_What? What's wrong with a friend asking a friend out to a Quidditch game? I like Quidditch, you like Quidditch, so I said yes."_

Harry didn't reply, but he could sense Ron was definitely up to something.

* * *

"So he lapsed to comatose just like that?" Hermione asked as she scribbled down the details of what Ron and Harry just told her on the ornately carved writing table. Ron thought she looked perfectly at home in her cozy Indian sitting room with the plush colored pillows and silken sheets. Her western style robes however, did clash with the setting.

"Yes," replied Ron. He shifted in his seat to avoid a cramp. He wished he got a cushion before he started talking to her. These Ministry flooing fireplaces were never comfortable. "St. Mungo's couldn't figure out what happened to him."

"Didn't you hear any other spell that Tonks used on him?"

"No," replied Ron. "Just Cruciatus and she tried Avada Kedavra. But then Harry and I were across the hall. Frenchie was there but he said he didn't hear anything either. But I suppose Tonks could have used something between the killing curse and Cruciatus, there was time enough."

"We came to check on Tonks earlier," added Harry. "She's pretty shaken. At least Professor Lupin was there with her. She said she felt she was under the Imperious curse but somehow she couldn't throw it off. She didn't remember using any other spells aside from the two Unforgivables and an earlier spell she cast to make a chair fly towards Kelley."

Hermione bit her lip and tapped the end of her quill, a habit Ron knew she acquired even during their Hogwarts days when she was thinking. "You're sure Tonks was feeling alright? She wasn't feeling ill or weak that she couldn't throw off an Imperious?"

Harry shook their head. "Don't know. But she looked pretty okay before, although she was a bit upset with Fian's death and Mackenzie being a suspect. Tonks is good as an Auror. Throwing off the Imperious should be a piece of cake for her. There was no one else around, at least by the time Auror backup arrived. You think it was an elf who did that?"

"Could be," said Hermione. "I'm not sure how powerful elves are. According to the literature I've read, elves have powerful magic, but no one has managed to write about the full extent of what they could do. Everything written about them is confined to either domestic duties or building construction and maintenance. I managed to look into the only two published articles by Diana Mackenzie. So far, her work is the only one helpful in this case. Her initial findings show that elves can magically protect their masters. They can put up wide-ranging shield charms or even cast spells similar to Expelliarmus and Stupefy to ward off enemies."

"But can they kill?" asked Ron. "Can they put a person in a coma and are they powerful enough to use Unforgivables?"

Hermione shook her head. "Probably the only person who knows that is Mackenzie herself. But she didn't get to publish her work." She heaved a sigh. "If she intended to publish them at all."

**A/N: I had to revise this chapter a bit, because of a missing line I forgot to put when I changed time settings and POAs.  
**

**Again, thank you so much for all those who reviewed. I got so many in my last chapter I'm simply jumping with joy. To froggiesrcool, I'm sorry I named a prat character after your little brother. I assure you, I have purpose for using that name. But it will come in later. And thanks too for the tip on removing anonymous reviewers, didn't know that.**

**Another thing, a "Chimaera" according to Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is a rare and extremely dangerous Greek monster with a lion's head, a goat's body and a dragon's tail. It's quite vicious, so the younger Aurors, and even Moody, have taken to calling their Chief that behind her back.**


	28. Date Disappointment

**Chapter Twenty Eight**

**Date Disappointment**

"YOU CALL THAT BEATING! SOMEONE OUGHT TO BEAT YOU UP! PUT SOME MUSCLE ON IT, MORON!"

Harry could feel his voice getting hoarse but Ron wasn't stopping. He had been screaming, clapping, jumping and cursing even before the start of the game. He even sent out a few colorful sparks every time someone made a spectacular goal. It was alright at first but after hours, Harry was getting extremely annoyed. He couldn't figure out what was wrong with Ron. He had been acting weird since they woke up this morning. He insisted they work out before breakfast then he wanted to read up on house elves using some of the books Hermione left behind. Ron even picked up a copy of Hogwarts, A History and started reading anything he could find on the subject. It was so boring Harry had

shut out most of it and let Ron do all the work. But Ron had worked on it so diligently in Hermione-like fashion Harry was almost afraid of him. Harry actually fell unconscious for a few minutes and when he woke up Ron was still at it. After that, Ron wanted to practice a few spells but he insisted on doing them alone and he wouldn't let Harry do even one.

By the time they met Maddy at the Quidditch stadium, Harry could feel Ron was getting a bit tired. But still he kept up an active involvement in the game as if it was a Canon's championship match.

"OR FOR MERLIN'S SAKE, THE SNITCH WAS RIGHT UNDER YOUR NOSE! WAKE UP!"

"_Ron what is with you? Could you calm down a bit?"_

"_Calm down? Harry, it's Quidditch. You don't calm down at Quidditch. You cheer. _ YOU IDIOT! YOU LET THAT GO! IT WAS LIKE TWO INCHES AWAY!"

"_People are starting to stare, Ron."_

"_I don't see Maddy complaining."_

Maddy indeed was far from complaining. She seemed to be having the time of her life and was exerting as much energy on the game as Ron. "KICK 'IM OFF 'IS BROOM! WHAT KIND OF PASS EEZ ZAT!"

_Blimey, how these two can run on,_ Harry thought miserably.

Fortunately, the Tornados' seeker finally caught the snitch at that moment and Harry had to endure one last throat straining cheer from Ron.

"_Merlin, that was tiring," _said Ron.

"_And whose fault is that?" _asked Harry.

Ron didn't answer. He just checked their watch. It was past ten in the evening. The game had gone on for almost four hours.

"Thanks Maddy, it was great," Ron said.

"You are welcome."

"Can I take you home?"

"Yes, I would love zat."

They walked together to the apparition site and Ron got his wand out first.

"_Ron, let me do it. I think you're too tired."_

"_Oh don't worry, Harry I can still do it."_

"_But it's going to drain your energy and you might—" _

Too late, Ron had already muttered the spell to apparate and they ended up in front of a nice little flat in a wizarding village in suburban London.

"—_fall unconscious. Ron? Ron!"_

"You want to come in, Ronald?"

Harry stared at her for a moment and it suddenly dawned on him what Ron just did.

"Ronald, you want to come in?" Maddy repeated.

"I—er…"

"Just for tea? Your throat must be tired from all ze cheering. It will 'elp you."

"Er… okay."

Maddy took his hand and led him in. Her flat was spacious, neat and decidedly feminine with its light yellow wallpaper and floral curtains. It was both elegant and comfortable.

"I will get tea." she said.

"Alright," Harry nodded.

She went to the kitchen to make it, while Harry sat down on her crème colored three-sitter divan and looked around. There were pictures all over of Maddy and her family, as well as old classmates smiling against a backdrop of a shiny palace. Harry figured that was Beauxbatons.

When he thought about it, Maddy wasn't really bad. She was pretty, she was nice. Maybe Ron was right. She was perfect for him. It couldn't be that hard to like her.

Maddy came in with a tea tray following behind her. She set it down on the coffee table and used her wand to pour them each a cup.

"I 'ad fun," she said.

Harry smiled at her. "I had fun too. Thanks for the invite." They fell into silence. He was awfully reminded of his first and only date with Cho Chang. He sipped his cup so he would have something to do.

"Well…" she began.

"Well…" he echoed back.

She slowly moved closer to him. He nervously put his cup down.

"And so 'ere we are," she said coyly. She moved even closer.

"Uh-huh," Harry mumbled.

In the next instant her lips were pressed to his. Harry was conscious that this kiss wasn't like his first awkward moment with Cho Chang. This was no wet kiss that demanded sympathy. Maddy was giving it out of pure desire for him. And her lips were nice. They were softer, more experienced. He was aware that he should be enjoying this but all the time his thoughts were: _Do this for Ron, do this for Ron. You have to stop thinking of Hermione._

The thought of her just made him think of Hermione even more and suddenly Harry couldn't stand it. He pulled away.

"I'm sorry I can't do this," he said as he turned away. He didn't want to see if she looked hurt.

There was a long agonizing moment before he felt a hand on his shoulder. "Eet eez alright," she said slowly. "I understand. Zhere eez someone else, yes?"

Harry sighed miserably. "It's not that," he began. He was prepared to give an excuse—some explanation that wouldn't make her feel she was just what he intended her to be: someone to help him forget another girl.

But she cupped his face so he was forced to look at her again. "Zhere eez no need to explain. I know. I should not 'ave asked you out."

"You do?" he asked.

Maddy looked at him straight. "I can feel eet. You are 'esitant. A girl alwayz knows."

"I-I don't regret it, I mean us going out. I really had fun tonight. Watching the match with you was wonderful."

"Yes, I know 'bout zat. I want to go out with you again, but only as your friend. Zat eez all we can ever be, eez eet?"

Harry considered salvaging what was left of his possible attempt to date her but decided it was useless. He nodded.

"I am alright with zat Ronald." She was silent for a moment. He was startled when she spoke again. "You should tell her."

"What?"

"Tell her 'ow you feel."

Harry shook his head. "I can't do that."

"Why? Because you only see 'er four times a year or because she eez your best friend?"

Harry paled.

"So I was right? Eet eez your lovely friend traveling abroad."

Harry nodded again. "Yes, but it's a lot more complicated than that."

"I am sorry, I cannot help you zhere. But I shall still be your friend in every way."

"Thanks, Maddy." Suddenly he felt enormously guilty. Here was a girl who trusted him in every way and he and Ron didn't even tell her the one big secret they had been keeping.

"Maddy, there's something else I think you should know. I trust you, but you have to promise you can't tell anyone."

She looked at him seriously. "Of course Ronald. What eez eet?"

Harry took her hands in his but refused to look at her straight. "I'm not Ronald Weasley. I'm Harry Potter."

Maddy pulled her hands away. "What—what are you talking 'bout, Ronald?"

"Please don't be mad. We should have told you sooner but Moody told us not to."

"We?"

"It's a long story."

So he told her everything, all the while worried of her reaction. Maddy, however, appeared to take everything calmly, though she appeared confused.

"I swear," he said at the end of his explanation. "I'm not making this up. It's not a joke. I know it's a little hard to believe, but it's true."

"Eet eez a bit confusing," she replied. She appeared to be thinking deeply. "But eet does make zense now, yes. I 'ave always wondered why you can do two spells at once and why you use two wands, even two Patronuses." She stopped and her face fell. "But zhen, Ronald… 'e eez not 'ere now?"

"Well he is. We're basically sharing his body, but right now he's unconscious and I have full control of his body. There are times when I become unconscious too so he takes over."

"So, zhere are times you can be alone without ze other?"

"We can't really predict when but yes, when we're extremely tired."

She nodded knowingly. "So you're just 'arry now? Ze whole time tonight of ze match?"

"No, he was still up until the end of the match. He was the one doing all the shouting and cursing and spell casting but he became unconscious after. Look, I'm really sorry. Ron, you see… he er… sort of liked me to like you so he…er…

"Eet was 'im who said yes when I asked, was 'e?"

Harry could feel his face grow redder and he nodded uncomfortably. "Please don't be mad at me, or him."

Maddy shook her head. "I am not angry at you. You are still my friend, zhank you for being 'onest and for trusting me. But tell me, eez Ronald also in love with your friend?"

"Yes," replied Harry, sadly.

"I suspected," said Maddy. "And does 'e know 'ow you feel, 'bout 'er?"

Harry shook his head again. "I can't. He'll hate me and I can't stand that. I'm not worried of getting ejected from his body because of it, but I don't want to lose Ron as a best friend."

"Oh 'arry, I am sorry."

"It's alright. I mean what chance have I got anyway? I'm already dead. I'm not even supposed to be feeling this way. Hermione's for Ron. I know, but I can't help feeling."

"You are 'uman, 'arry. Eet eez only natural."

"I suppose," said Harry. He gave a sad smile. "Thanks for understanding."

"You're welcome. Now, I think you should go home and get some rest."

"You're right." He took out his wand to apparate, but stopped himself.

"Look, I still don't have a date for that Ministry Ball. Would you go with me? I mean we could go as friends?"

Maddy smiled. "Yes, I would love to." She kissed him on the cheek. "Goodnight, 'arry. And I am glad I met you."

"Goodnight, Maddy."

He apparated home and collapsed on his bed, feeling extremely disappointed in himself. Not even a pretty girl like Maddy can ever get his mind off her. He just had to find another way to fall out of love and he hoped he did before Ron ever found out.


	29. Harry's Secret

**Chapter Twenty Nine**

**Harry's Secret**

Ron found himself staring at the ceiling. He blinked at the early morning sunlight and instantly remembered what he had done the night before.

_It worked! _He thought happily. All he had to do was exhaust himself and he'd fall unconscious. Now if he can only convince Harry to do that to himself so he, Ron can finally have some alone time.

He tumbled out of bed and looked around. Well he was still in his bed at the Manor. He had half expected to wake in someone else's. But maybe he wasn't alone in it. He checked the sheets.

Nope, no one there.

He checked the floor.

Nope, no tell-tale signs of female habitation either.

_Shower, _he thought. But he was disappointed to find it empty.

"_Ron, what are you doing?"_

"_Harry! I thought you were still asleep."_

"_I was up since about an hour ago."_

"_Oh." __Drat! He's still awake!_

"_What were you doing anyway? And what the hell did you leave me alone like that for!"_

"_Stop pretending to be daft, Harry, I think that's pretty obvious. Now give me details, mate. What happened?"_

"_Nothing."_

"_What do you mean nothing? Harry, I do think I'm entitled to know what happens to my body. Now spill."_

"_Nothing happened. I took her home, we talked."_

"_About what?"_

"_Look, I told her the truth about our situation. I just didn't think it's right that she doesn't know."_

"_Was she mad?"_

"_She was a bit confused at first but I explained everything and she's okay with it, so we're still good friends. Nothing else."_

"_Nothing else?"_

"_Yes, what else is there? I did ask to be her date to that Ministry Ball. Is that okay?"_

"_Yeah, I guess. Normally I'd ask Hermione, but she won't be back until June. At least Maddy can keep us company. So nothing happened? You didn't even kiss her?"_

Ron felt Harry hesitate._ "Well, she did, just a friendly one on the cheek." _

Oh yes, he was definitely hiding something. He was always a bad liar.

"_Alright, Harry if you say so."_

Ron didn't want to push it. But he'll find out, eventually. It wouldn't be that hard. Still, yesterday was a breakthrough. He had finally found a way to get some privacy from Harry. But now was not the time to think about that. They had work to do.

There appeared to be quite a commotion at Headquarters when they arrived. Ron nudged the first person he saw. It was Blake.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"Two of the children have been found," he said. "I don't know anything else, but I think they're at St. Mungo's."

"_You think we should check it out, Harry?"_

"_We're not supposed to, but that hasn't stopped us before. It's still early before we have to report anyway."_

They found a group of Aurors were at the reception area of the hospital, among them J.D. and Alicia.

"What happened?" Harry asked their friends.

"We found two of the missing children a few hours ago," replied Alicia. She looked enormously relieved. "The muggle police found them wandering at two separate places: one at a muggle flea market another at a bus station. J.D. and I found them when we did our rounds. We took them here for a thorough check-up."

"The kids seemed okay," said J.D. "Apart from not remembering anything since they disappeared. They didn't even know they were missing for days. No cuts, no wounds anywhere."

Harry and Ron gave a sigh of relief. "So there's absolutely nothing?"

"We're still waiting for additional tests. The healers are trying to probe if they could get through a memory or if they've been hurt magically. But so far there's no evidence of physical harm. It looks like whoever kidnapped them just decided to keep them for two days, erase their memories and let them off at a public area. What are you doing here anyway?"

"Er… wanted to check on Kelley. But can I wait for the results on the children?"

Alicia and J.D. looked at each other. "Sure, I guess," replied J.D softly. "I know Chief took you out of this case, but just pretend you're part of our team."

Alicia and J.D. led them to a room where two eleven-year-old boys were sitting up restlessly on their beds, eyeing everything magical in the room with bewilderment.

"So you can get my temperature with just that stick?" asked the more energetic one, a blond boy with wild curls, to the healer close by.

"Yes, now lay back down young man we haven't finished with you yet," replied the stern witch healer who appeared to be a little younger than Madame Pomfrey.

"That is so cool!" replied the other boy who had dark brown hair. "You mean we can do that too when we get to that school? Do magic with sticks? Or give other people boils when we want to? And then make them okay again?"

"Yes, yes, no and yes. Don't you two ever run out of questions?" The healer noticed the Aurors enter.

"How are they?" asked Alicia.

"Aside from the fact that they are driving me crazy with their questions, there doesn't seem to be anything wrong." She lowered her voice. "I can't find any signs of trauma. They weren't tortured, physically or with Cruciatus, that's for sure. But I can't get pass through the memory charm placed on them either. I still want to keep them for observation for another day or two, but they're perfectly fine. Have their parents been informed?"

"Yes," replied J.D. "They're on their way as soon as they're briefed. So there's nothing wrong?"

The healer shook her head. "None that I can find. They're completely healthy."

Ron eyed the boys carefully. He recognized that same curiosity in himself and Harry when they first met on the train. It must be even more fascinating for them since they grew up in the muggle world their whole lives.

"Oy, watch this I can already do it!" said one of the boys, the blonde one to his dark haired companion on the other bed.

Ron looked at him. The blond curly boy appeared to be pointing to a glass of water on his bedside table.

"Do what?" asked the other one.

"Magic. Just like they do." The boy was looking intently at the glass. His expression seemed to concentrate on the glass for a minute before shifting to surprise.

"Is something supposed to happen?" asked the other boy.

"That's strange," said the blonde boy. "I can't do it anymore."

"Do what?"

"Make the water in the glass bubble without touching it."

The healer turned to them sternly. "Lie back down and get some rest both of you. Your parents will be here to see you soon."

"But I can't make the water bubble."

"Well of course you can't," replied the healer. "You can't do magic without a wand, and not without the proper training. Don't be in a hurry. You'll learn to do magic properly when you get to Hogwarts."

"But I've always been able to do it before," complained the boy.

"Well it's just a stroke of random magic. All magical children have that. Now keep still and be quiet."

Ron and Harry decided there was nothing else to keep them there and bid Alicia and J.D. goodbye. They stopped by to check on Kelley and found Tonks outside his ward. Her hair appeared limp and brown today. She appeared to be deep in thought and too gloomy to make her hair exciting.

"You alright?" Harry asked. They sat down next to her.

Tonks shook her head. "I'm not sure. They let me see Edward today. There's nothing much different about him. They still don't know why he won't wake up. I've been trying so hard to recall what happened. But I could only remember using the two Unforgivables and a levitating spell when I attacked him."

"When will you be back?" Ron asked.

"I don't know. It depends on Chief. She's sending me back to Academy to re-train in Imperious Curse breaking. If I showed full confidence in doing that, she can lift my suspension."

Harry patted her shoulder then told her the good news about the two children. That seemed to comfort her somehow.

"We'll find those children," Ron reassured her. "And we're talking to Hermione. She's trying to do some research on the house elves and on strange curses on the side while finishing her studies. And the ARD's on the case. I'm sure we'll figure this out in no time."

"Thanks," Tonks said. "But you don't have to cheer me up. I'll be okay on my own. Now get back to headquarters or you're going to be late."

"Aye, aye, Captain Tonks!" replied Harry to Ron's confusion. Tonks sniggered.

"_What did you call her?" _asked Ron.

"_It's a muggle thing. I thought it might cheer her up."_

They found a group of junior Aurors sitting together at one area of Headquarters with Atalanta.

"You're late, Weasley, where were you?" asked the Chief.

"Er… just checked on Kelley," replied Harry.

Atalanta eyed them suspiciously but didn't say anything. She updated them about the missing children then proceeded to address the group with orders on securing the area where the Ministry Ball was to be held at the end of the month.

Ron caught sight of Maddy just as they were dismissed. If Harry wasn't going to talk, maybe he could find out something from her.

"Maddy?" he asked.

"'ello, Ron," she said cheerfully then motioned for them aside. "And 'arry. Are you both zhere?"

"Yes," Ron replied. "So Harry told you?"

"Yes."

"This is Ron talking and I want to thank you for a great game last night. Sorry I couldn't stay up all night, but I think Harry took care of that."

"Oh, yes. 'arry did. We 'ad a good talk."

Ron could feel Harry getting tense. Oh yes, this was getting interesting. "So you got to know each other better—"

"_Harry, what the hell did you bite our tongue for!"_

"Sorry Maddy," said Harry. "This is Harry, by the way. Ron's being a prat right now about… you know what."

"_What 'you know what?'"_

Maddy gave them a bewildered look. "Zis eez really weird. But I think I understand, 'arry. Do not worry." She held a finger to her face and made a movement to point to them then to back to herself. Then she pretended to pull an invisible zipper over her lips.

"What was that?" asked Ron. He felt Harry immediately relax and Ron understood there was some secret going on between them.

Maddy bid them goodbye and went back to her office to work.

"_Alright, Harry fine, if you want to keep your romance with her private, I'll let you, for now."_

"_I'm not having a romance with her. We're just friends."_

"_Alright Potter, have it your way. But I will find out. Remember that."_


	30. Surprise at the Ministry Ball

**Chapter Thirty**

**Surprise at the Ministry Ball**

"Your collar's crooked!" cried the mirror in a girly voice that reminded Harry of Lavender Brown when she went all gossipy. He ignored the mirror and proceeded to look for his and Ron's wands. "You can't go out like that!" it cried again.

"We can and we will," Ron snubbed. "It's just a stupid ball anyway." He paused. _"Then again, if we leave it like that, it will give Maddy an opportunity to straighten it out for YOU, Harry." _

Harry went back in front of the mirror and wordlessly straightened up their collar. Ron had been relentless in baiting him to admit a non-existent secret romance with Maddy for two weeks non-stop and Harry had just about given up trying to deny it. Ron wouldn't believe him whatever he said. Besides, Harry had also realized that this could work to his advantage. Let Ron think he had something for Maddy and maybe he won't realize he had feelings for Hermione.

Ron messed up their collar as if to defy him and Harry just let him.

"_I'm trying to help you here, mate."_

"_Whatever Ron. Now where are our wands?"_

"_I can't remember. Damn!"_

They spent the next few minutes searching their messy bedroom for their wands, which—as usual—they misplaced again while getting dressed. Finally, Harry gave up and hollered for Mickey.

The elf promptly appeared and found their wands in two seconds flat after Harry asked for help to look for them.

"_What would we do without her?" _Ron asked, relieved.

"_Hermione would be ecstatic to hear you say that." _

"_Alright, I admit elves are great, but don't tell her that. She'll never let me live it down."_

Harry had to agree. In the last few weeks, his respect for elves had increased more than a hundred percent. Mickey, in particular, had been a big help with their own research on what house elves could do. On Harry's request, Mickey, along with Dobby who came on his own, had appeared at Headquarters to demonstrate what spells they could do. The range of magic they had was just so astounding that Harry couldn't believe no one had paid attention to the significance of elf abilities before.

Elves not only could use a variety of powerful stunning, shielding and repelling charms, but they could also come up with some creative ones like sleeping spells, finding charms and confusion hexes for the defense of their masters. Aside from these, they had their own protection magic like long-distance apparition, far longer than any wizard or witch was capable of. And they also appeared to be immune to any of the usual magical wards that can repel humans. Both Mickey and Dobby, however, had professed ignorance of more deadly spells, nevertheless they appear to be fast learners of new magic.

Two of the last three missing children, however, turned up a week apart from each other. Like the previous two, there appeared nothing wrong with them aside from erased memories. Harry and Ron and the rest of the Auror force were getting hopeful. By the time they found the fourth unharmed child, they were mostly sure the fifth would be set free the same way. It almost seemed like a bad joke. Most of the Aurors now believed it had a very weak link to Dolohov's escape and Mackenzie's disappearance.

Meanwhile, investigation wasn't moving in any other way. Harry and Ron were extremely frustrated. Atalanta released Tonks' suspension after two weeks of intensely monitored practice in Imperious Curse breaking. But the Auror Chief kept their team off the case and assigned them to light patrols and paper work. By the end of the month, the Auror Force's attention was turned to the upcoming Ministry Ball and the security they needed to put up.

Moody's team was just assigned to help set up initial wards, but they were off duty for the rest of the night. "Atalanta wants to see you hobnobbing with the guests," said Moody with a note of disdain. "Especially you, Weasley."

Harry and Ron just finished replacing their wands at the inside of their robes when there was tinkling of a bell, signaling that someone had just apparated in.

"_Who could be here? _MICKEY! Could you check who it is?" said Ron. _"Were you expecting someone? Is Maddy coming here?"_

"_No, Maddy said she'd meet us there. Besides, she doesn't know where we live. Hardly anyone does."_

They rushed down to the living room and came to a dead stop at the figure in the middle of the living room surrounded with several boxes and a trunk.

"Surprise!"

"Hermione? What are you doing here!" Ron exclaimed. "I thought you weren't coming by until three more weeks."

Hermione beamed at them. "I'm home, for good. I finished my papers early."

"Why didn't you tell us?" said Harry as they hugged her. "We could have picked you up at the portkey site."

"I wanted to surprise you. I hope you don't mind. You did offer to let me live here with you. So does the offer still stand until I get a place of my own? I'm currently unemployed so it may take a while."

"Of course you can live here. As long as you like. We always have room."

"Thanks, Harry." She glanced at them. "It's a little too early to be getting dressed for the Ministry Ball, isn't it?"

"We need to be there earlier to set up wards. Part of the job. Wait—you know about the Ball?" asked Ron.

"Of course. The Ministry sent me an invitation. All those who fought in the war got one. It's also one of the reasons I wanted to come home early. I'd like to catch up on what every one else has been doing since I've been gone."

"Oh," Both Harry and Ron said with a sinking feeling that they already had a date to the Ball.

"I wish you told us Hermione," said Ron. "I wish I knew then I'd ask you—"

Hermione seemed to sense what he was trying to say and Harry detected a slight disappointment in her face, though she tried to hide it. "Oh, it's alright Ron. Someone—someone sort of asked me already."

"Who?" asked Harry.

"It's nothing. I've never even met him personally. He was just someone who read some of my published work and owled me a few times to discuss it. I mentioned that I was going home and he told me he'd like to meet so we can talk more about my studies. He said he was going to the Ball too and he asked if he could escort me. I don't know anything about him, but he's probably as old as Dumbledore. He sounds like an ancient academic. Probably some old Ministry official or some Healer from St. Mungo's. Some of his ideas are quite brilliant though."

Harry relaxed. There was nothing to worry about then. Even if he was going with Maddy, he and Ron could still find time to be with Hermione. He didn't know how to dance, but at least Ron can and he'd still appreciate going along. They hadn't gotten to do that dance at Bill's wedding; and the last time she was around, they had been so distracted by her theory about the elves that they had completely forgotten.

"Alright, reserve a dance for us then," said Ron, as if reading Harry's thoughts.

"Of course," replied Hermione. "Shall I meet you there later?"

"Alright. You better go, or you'll be late."

"Right," said Ron. They glanced at their watch. "Blimey, Moody's going to kill us if we're not there in five minutes!" He took out his wand to apparate, but Hermione pulled them back and straightened their collar.

"Thanks," said Harry. He took one last look at her before Ron apparated them away.

They arrived at the site, which was an enormous complex near the Ministry decorated with large fountains, fairy lights and hundreds of flowers and plants. They came with three minutes to spare and Moody immediately set them to work on securing the area.

They finished putting wards just as the first guests began to arrive. De Lancre excused himself to find his date and Ron and Harry were left with Tonks who appeared more like herself in robes of bright yellow and electric blue hair.

"How are you?" asked Harry. They seemed to be asking her that often in the last few weeks.

"The usual," she replied. "Still waiting for Edward to wake up. Still wishing Diana's here so she can clear herself. It's just so exasperating that we're stuck here doing nothing when maybe, just maybe we could make a difference if we're out there at the thick of things."

"I know how you feel," said Ron. "But I'm glad you're back at least."

"Yup, who's you're date by the way?"

"Maddy. Just as friends. Hermione's here though. She pulled a surprise on us and appeared in our living room this afternoon."

Tonks smiled, one of the first Ron had seen in a long time. "I'll be seeing her later then." She looked up. "Oh here's my date."

Ron found himself staring at none other than Professor Lupin. He was wearing well-tailored robes of blue and gold. He appeared to be years younger. And when Tonks smiled at him, there was a sparkle in his eyes.

"_Are they dating?" _asked Ron.

"_I don't know," _replied Harry. _"But it's good for them."_

Lupin and Tonks excused themselves just as Maddy appeared in apricot colored robes made of some sort of silken material that clung to her body, revealing every single one of her many curves. Ron couldn't help but admire her, but at the same time, he was picturing someone else looking just as magnificent in his mind.

"You look great," said Ron. _"Harry, aren't you going to compliment her?"_

"Yeah, you look good," replied Harry.

"_Okay that was just pathetic, Potter. You could do better than that."_

Harry didn't reply. _ Merlin, why won't he just come out with it?_

Maddy, however seemed content at that and they engaged in small talk for a while. But Ron's attention was drifting. He let Harry carry on the conversation for both of them, while he attempted to scout for Hermione in the growing crowd.

They were joined every now and then by a few Aurors and some old friends. A few Ministry officials came to greet them. But thankfully, Maddy appeared to be a perfect diplomat and kept the conversation going.

Ron spotted Rita Skeeter coming their way with a photographer.

"_Harry, the bug is on to us."_

"Dance with me, Maddy?" Harry quickly offered. She barely nodded before they led her to the thickest part of the dance floor, hoping the annoying reporter wouldn't follow.

"There's a reporter after us," Harry explained to her. "She's in purple robes and large glasses. Can you see if she's still around?"

Maddy nodded that she understood. She peered over their shoulder.

"She eez right behind us," she whispered. "Rita Skeeter, eez eet not? I 'ave 'eard about 'er. She always writes 'bout you two."

"Yeah and twists everything we say."

"She eez coming. What do we do?"

"We move," said Ron.

They slowly inched their way around the crowd, while keeping in time to the music. For the next ten minutes it felt like a game of hide and go seek. Harry, Ron and Maddy would attempt to waltz behind other dancing couples but Rita Skeeter and her photographer always gave chase.

"Damn woman, is relentless. We need a more evasive action."

Maddy scouted the entire area. "Zhere," she pointed to an area with thick bushes that was dimly lit. "We can 'ide zhere."

Ron gave Maddy a fancy twirl and without warning, quickstepped into the direction she pointed to, pulling her with him. They backed slowly into the shadows. Ron caught a glimpse of a confused Rita scouting them amidst the dancing couples.

"I think we lost them," said Harry. Ron backed further away and jumped up when they bumped into something that moved and yelped.

All three of them had their wands out. Ron cast a dim light on what was before him.

"Neville?" he asked, surprised. "What are you doing here?"

Neville Longbottom looked surprised. But more importantly, the recently appointed Hogwarts Herbology professor appeared to be quite flushed. And the reason was standing right next to him. Luna Lovegood, amazingly appeared to be blushing—a first as far as Ron could remember. He had never seen Luna appear so anxious before, it was slightly unnerving. Ron was instantly aware that they had walked into something and was eager to leave.

"Well, Luna and I were just… getting away from the crowd," Neville explained.

Ron eyed him knowingly. "Of course," he said evenly.

"And what are you doing here?" asked Neville. He was staring at Maddy.

"Hiding from that Skeeter woman, she's on to us again," Ron explained. "This is Maddy, by the way. A colleague of mine. Have you seen Hermione?"

"I saw her talking to Dumbledore earlier," replied Neville. "She's with someone but I don't recognize him."

"Thanks, I'll try to find her later. But could you check if Rita's still out there?"

Neville nodded and peered outside. "Looks clear to me."

"Thanks, Neville. I'll see you later."

"You think it's safe to go out now?"Harry asked.

"Maybe we should wait," said Maddy.

Ron considered it, but he didn't want to be around with Neville and Luna when they were obviously busy. He discreetly peered outside. He couldn't see Rita anywhere. "Nope, I think we can go out."

Maddy looked doubtful, but Ron held her at the elbow to reassure her and they stepped out into the light.

Out of nowhere half a dozen flash bulbs invaded them, blinding them for a moment. And in that span what seemed like an army of reporters started shooting questions.

"Ronald Weasley, who's your lovely date?"

"Where did you meet?"

"How do you feel about being the most eligible bachelor in the wizarding world? Are you giving that title up?"

"Are we expecting wedding bells soon?"

"_What do we do?" _asked Harry helplessly. They looked to Maddy. But the girl only appeared confused for a second. Ron noticed that she was discreetly pulling at her wand. She muttered a quiet spell under her breath.

"_Alright, what was that?" _Ron asked when nothing seemed to happen. But a minute later he could smell smoke. It became so thick in seconds that they couldn't see anything and neither could the reporters. Ron felt the tug of Maddy's hand and they wormed their way past the confused reporters. They emerged to hide behind a dimly lit fountain. It was the only time they allowed themselves to breathe.

"That was amazing," said Harry. "Good thinking Maddy."

She smiled at them. "Smoke charms are always ze best. I do not zhink you want to be ze subject of another gossip column. And I do not like to be in one too. Zey already wrote something about me."

"You?" asked Ron.

"Witch Weekly," she said. "We were on ze front cover last Sunday. Somebody took a photo of us at ze game. Skeeter eez not ze only reporter to watch out for now. "

"I'll keep that in mind," said Ron.

"Oy Ronny, what are you doing in the shadows with your lovely friend?"

Ron and Harry were so startled they whipped their wands around and jammed them at the throat of the person who spoke behind them.

"Easy! I know you Aurors are security conscious, but I think hexing your brother is a little going over the wall."

It turned out to be only George in an outrageous pair of rainbow colored dress robes that were lighting up like firecrackers.

"We're trying to hide from the reporters," Harry replied.

"Oh so that was you who caused the commotion in there," said George. "What did you do, set someone on fire?"

"Zat was just a smoke charm," said Maddy. "'ello again, eez eet George or Fred?"

"George," he replied. Ron noticed he was looking at her like an idiot. "Maddy, right. We've met before at Bill's wedding. But we've never talked."

"That's because you're too busy drooling over Fleur's little sister, you prat," Ron muttered under his breath, though he was sure George could hear it.

"Your choice of dress robes are… interesting," said Maddy. "Fleur was right 'bout you. You are ze funny one."

"He's only half funny," said Ron. "You should see him with Fred, but then you ought to be careful too. The two of them put together can be dangerous to your health."

"Don't listen to him," said George. "He has no sense of humor. Say, Maddy, I think you and Ronny should lay low for the rest of the evening. Best to separate for a few minutes too so… you know… you could throw the reporters off your tail for awhile."

Ron rolled his eyes at him but Maddy giggled.

"If you want to ask me to dance, just ask," she said and George surprisingly blushed.

"Oh, well… If Ron doesn't mind…"

"Go on," Ron said with an exasperated tone. "I need to look for Hermione anyway."

Ron felt Harry cringe. "But I'll see you later," Harry added. He gave her an odd apologetic look and she met his eyes as if to confirm that she was alright.

_Oy, Harry, don't worry about George. It's just one dance. I know you and Maddy have a thing going."_

"_I don't mind, Ron."_

"_Right, I'm sure you don't. But anyway you've had your fun, now it's my turn. I want to see Hermione first."_

"_Of course," _Harry replied. Ron somehow felt that if Harry had said that aloud he would have done so with clenched teeth.

"Oui," Maddy replied. "I will see you later, Ron, 'arry?"

George looked panicked.

"It's okay," said Harry. "She knows."

George gave an exaggerated sigh of relief then steered her for a dance.

Ron resumed his look out for Hermione. They placed an illusion charm on themselves while they roved.

"_Have you seen her anywhere?" _Ron asked.

"_No, I've been trying to look. There! There she is next to Dumbledore."_

She was huddled in a small group next to Dumbledore and some Hogwarts professors. She was attired in shiny robes of purple and red cut in Indian style. She had jeweled ornaments on her wrists, ears and neck while on top of her carefully arranged hair was a crown of gold. She looked every inch like an Indian goddess and Ron was completely mesmerized. He quickly moved through the crowd towards her, completely oblivious to anyone else around him. When she turned and met his gaze, he wanted nothing more but to run to her and just kiss her, and Harry and the rest of the people around be damned. He disillusioned them when they were in front of her.

"Ron!" she said. "I've been looking for you all evening."

"I've been looking for you too," he replied.

"Oh, but let me introduce you first to my escort this evening," she said. She moved back to let someone come up front to face him. Ron's stomach suddenly dropped along with his jaw.

"I do not think we need any further introductions, Hermione. Hello, Weasley. What a coincidence that we have a common friend."

It was Orion Pierre de Lancre.


	31. Draco's Demise

**Chapter Thirty One**

**Draco's Demise**

"Oh, you've met before?" Hermione asked.

Harry managed to recover from his initial shock, grabbed Hermione by the elbow and steered her away.

"Ron, what are you doing!" Hermione complained. Harry ignored her and kept pulling her until they came outside the garden complex before finally letting go.

"Ron, that was rude! Why did you drag me out here for?"

"That was Harry, not me," complained Ron. "But I would have done the same. What the bloody hell are you doing with that git!"

"He's the one I was talking about, the owl pal I write to about my work—"

"Why didn't you tell us you've been writing to our partner?" Ron demanded.

Hermione appeared confused. "Partner? You mean Orion is your Auror partner?"

Harry rolled his eyes incredulously.

"As if you didn't know!" Ron accused.

"I don't! How would I know? You've never mentioned him."

"Never mentioned him? Hello Hermione. We've done nothing but complain about him since we started the Auror program. Weren't you listening?"

"You never mentioned his name!" Hermione cried. "You always called him git or Frenchie, or some other insult. How was I supposed to know it was Orion."

"Fleur mentioned his name the first time when we came home at the Burrow after Auror Exams," Harry said.

"Did she? I don't remember. I had other things on my mind that day and I rarely listen to that tart anyway. But the point is, I don't see what's wrong? So it was coincidence. Besides, I don't know what you have against him."

Both Harry and Ron balked. "What do you mean, what do we have against him?" demanded Ron. "He's the biggest prat next to Malfoy."

"And what has he done?" she challenged.

"Well for one, he's a pureblood snob. I'm surprised he hasn't wrinkled his horrid French nose at you. But well maybe he doesn't know that you're muggleborn."

"On the contrary Weasley, I am well aware that Hermione is muggleborn." De Lancre stepped behind them. "She mentioned it long ago. But I consider her one of the most brilliant minds I have had the pleasure of meeting."

Harry placed himself between his partner and Hermione. "Go away Lancry, this is a private conversation."

"Ron!"

De Lancre held up his hands in surrender. "I shall go for the sake of peace, but I must clarify something, Hermione." He looked at her intently. Harry and Ron eyed him with disgust. "I admit I had my prejudices before. You see I grew up in a home that has always held purebloods in high esteem and has regarded those with muggle blood as inferior. But when I read what you wrote and known you these last few months through your letters, I realized all those years I was mistaken. Forgive me. You are simply ze most wonderful and exceptional witch in the world."

"Oh, well thank you," said Hermione. She was turning a bright shade of pink. Harry and Ron were flabbergasted. How could she buy this!

"I shall leave you alone now, but I shall see you later, Hermione?"

"Yes, Orion. Thank you."

He took his leave and Ron and Harry glared at his retreating form.

"Well?" said Hermione, angrily.

"How can you be so gullible?" Ron asked. "Can't you see he's just doing this to get to us?"

"Excuse me?"

"He's obviously using you somehow. Did you tell him about us?"

"No, of course not. I've never told anyone about you." She glared at them. "Oh honestly! This is like Viktor all over again. Harry, please tell Ron, he's being silly. The idea is just so far-fetched."

"I agree with him Hermione," said Harry. "Lancry's a manipulative and discriminating prat. He's always been manipulative and discriminating and he's not likely to change."

Hermione was surprised but didn't seem fazed. "I think you're both just jealous of him."

"JEALOUS!"

"Keep it down. And yes, you're jealous. I've listened to all your tirades for months about him, but when I think about it now, I believe you're being a little insecure with the fact that someone's as good as you, or probably better in some things."

Ron could sense she had a point there, but he wasn't going to admit that. "Well why was he writing to you then if he didn't have any ulterior motives?"

Hermione gave them an exasperated look. "I told you, he read some of my work and he owled to ask a question. I've had other people write to me before. I replied to him just as I replied to others. Then we began writing to each other about my researches. We had never discussed anything personal. He never even told me how old he is. Likewise, I never revealed anything about myself except that I was muggleborn and British. It was in my bio as part of my research abstract. I've never even mentioned you."

"Well, he obviously sought you out on purpose! He wanted to find out what you're working on. Doesn't that creep you out?"

"Ron, my published work is readily available to anyone who would bother to pick up the journal at any magical library and bookstore in the country and read them. At least he did, unlike some people."

"We read your work, don't we Harry? Well, some of it."

"Copying my notes when we were in Hogwarts doesn't count," she replied haughtily.

"Well that still doesn't make him a saint," said Ron. "He's no good, especially for you."

"And what is that supposed to mean?"

Ron blushed. He thought maybe he should admit it, never mind if Harry had to hear.

"We just want to take care of you, Hermione," Harry blurted before Ron could say another word. "You're our best friend, we just want to make sure you're in not in bad company, that's all."

Hermione's expression softened. "Thank you. But I can take care of myself. Don't worry, I don't think Orion's after anything bad—"

"Look, let's just stop arguing, alright?" Harry abruptly said rather harshly. "We haven't seen you for a long time."

Neither Ron nor Hermione even got a chance to reply. Harry had pulled her back into the crowd where it was too noisy to carry on a decent conversation.

"_Harry, I wasn't finished—"_

"_Well I am. I've had enough of this row."_

"_But Harry, I—"_

"_I don't want to hear it. _Just dance with me, Hermione," he said in an almost demanding tone.

Ron was taken aback and so was Hermione. Harry roughly grabbed her hand and led her in the midst of the dancers. A slow romantic song was playing, but this dance was far from romantic. Harry was clutching at Hermione as if he wanted to break her but Ron was too much in awe of Harry's sudden temper to do anything.

_What is with him?_ Ron asked himself, though he dared not say anything, fully aware that Harry was in one of his moods—something he hadn't displayed since the war.

The song ended and it was only then that Harry released Hermione from his vise-like grip. She stepped back and gave them a half-fearful, half-hurt look.

"Hermione—" Ron began.

She stepped back even more and shook her head, then she was off running away.

Ron made an attempt to follow her, but Harry kept him.

"_Harry, let go! What is wrong with you?"_

"_She needs to be alone."_

"_What are you talking about? We need to talk to her. I need to talk to her."_

"_Not now."_

"_Why?"_

"Weasley, we have to go."

"What now, Lancry?" Ron asked in irritation.

"Emergency. Moody needs us outside," replied their partner.

"Now?"

"Yes."

"But I have to talk to Hermione."

"I met her. I already made your excuses, now come."

"_Come on Ron, we have to go."_

Ron glanced helplessly into the direction Hermione ran to then let Harry follow de Lancre outside the complex where Moody was waiting.

"Team 2 got an anonymous tip just now on Malfoy's whereabouts," announced Moody. "They're about to go on assault. A flat at the White Chapel district. They need us there if it gets ugly. Here are the coordinates."

"Where's Tonks?" asked Ron.

"Atalanta wants her to sit this one out. She's staying behind to help with security for the Ball."

"But I thought her suspension was lifted?" complained Ron.

"That's what I figured too," said Moody grumpily. "I'll deal with that later. Right now we have to go."

He handed to them parchments with directions of the target house then they all apparated away.

They found themselves in a small busy street. Ron noticed a silvery glint move.

"It's the dilapidated flat on the right," whispered someone who was obviously using an illusion charm. "The one with the mahogany door. When your team's ready, Alastor."

"My team's ready for anything," replied Moody.

They set up illusion charms and positioned themselves. One Auror threw a transparent charm on the door and walls. It revealed nothing but darkness. She gave a tiny flicker of light, signaling that they were beginning the assault. The door burst open as the first of the Aurors came in. Nothing happened. They quickly moved into the dimly-lit flat, lighted only from the glow of a lamp post outside that permeated through the broken windows. For a long agonizing moment all Ron could hear was the sound of his and Harry's own beating heart. They needed to stay as rear guard while Team 2 went forward.

Without warning there was a piercing scream and an Auror collapsed to the floor, his illusion charm broken. A second scream erupted and another Auror fell. One by one the Aurors began to disillusion themselves and set up shield charms just as a dozen hexes came flying out of nowhere.

"Where are they coming from?" asked Ron. "It's too dark to see."

"Lumos!" cried Harry, while Ron held their protego charm. Harry shone their wand light forward and saw an awesome sight. Two elves were appearing and disappearing randomly between pieces of broken old furniture shooting spells at the Aurors with the speed and accuracy of trained combat wizards.

One elf sighted them and threw a spell their way. Ron veered left just in time as the spell smashed the wall behind them, opening one section of the room and allowing more light in. Harry quickly sent a spell towards the elf, but it had disappeared before being hit. Ron felt a prickling sensation and quickly turned around. The elf had materialized a few feet behind them and sent another spell that Harry managed to deflect in time.

"_Bloody hell, they're good!" _exclaimed Ron.

Somebody managed to smash another wall, causing enough light to stream in from outside. They could all see that they were in a living room with furniture as old and dilapidated as the rest of the house. They couldn't tell exactly how many elves were there. Ron was sure there were less than a dozen, but they moved so well that it was easy to imagine that there were more.

Something flew a few feet from them. Ron realized it was Moody. He crashed into a broken chair and lay unmoving. But Ron and Harry didn't stop to check on him. They shot a series of spells towards the elf that got Moody and one stunner managed to hit home. The elf collapsed, unconscious.

They followed another elf that materialized and was about to take shot of JD who was trying to deflect the spell of another elf.

"JD, behind you!" Harry shouted. He managed to deflect the spell aimed for JD, but a second spell caught JD's leg and he collapsed to the floor. Ron blasted the elf but it disappeared again into the air.

"Ahhh!" Ron and Harry both screamed as they felt the sting of a cut at their left shoulder. Several shots hurtled towards them and they had to dodge the spells, unmindful of the blood seeping through their robes. They shot a few spells back at their unseen attackers, when a bolt of light struck their right hand and it became numb. Ron, who was holding his wand on the right dropped, his.

"Protego!" Harry managed to say just in time as a spell came barreling in their direction before Harry could undo the paralysis hex on their right hand. Ron searched around for his wand but before he could even glance around a series of spells came their way and broke through the protection charm. Harry tried to ward them off with a series of spells using their injured left hand, but a shot from behind while he was dealing with a frontal attack disarmed him. A second shot caused their knees to buckle and they fell to the floor. A large elf appeared before them, his hands were raised and he smiled in an evil manner that Ron had never seen in an elf before. He uttered a spell and Ron braised himself for the hit. It never came. The elf was suddenly blasted away. Ron and Harry looked up to see de Lancre.

"Here Weasley, I think you need zhis!" He tossed them Harry's wand and removed the paralysis hex on his other hand.

Harry caught his wand and blasted another elf that appeared behind them but he missed. There appeared to be only a few Aurors left standing so the elves were focused on only a few targets. They couldn't find Ron's wand so Harry took over.

"Work with me, Weasley!" de Lancre shouted. "Or we are both dead!"

Harry nodded and they stood back to back for the first time with their partner. Together they were able to deflect the spells more efficiently and managed to knock down two more elves.

There was a brief moment of silence, then without warning several spells came hurtling from above their head.

"They are on the ceiling!" de Lancre shouted. "Aim there!"

Harry and Ron immediately launched a series of spells together with their partner towards the ceiling. Another knocked-out elf fell to the floor.

"Stop!" de Lancre shouted.

Harry sent two more spells before he followed. The spells stopped coming. The few Aurors still standing halted the assault and looked around.

"You think that's it?" asked Alicia from across the room.

There were about six of them still standing, Harry and Ron, de Lancre, Alicia, and three other senior Aurors. JD was still conscious though he seemed to have broken a leg so he was sitting up on the floor.

They listened carefully for several minutes. They shot a few more random spells, but when nothing happened, one the senior Aurors ordered everyone to check on the fallen ones. Everyone else appeared to be alive, just knocked out and badly bruised.

"Call back-up, Spinnet and inform St. Mungo's. You two," he motioned to de Lancre, Ron and Harry. "Stay here and guard the elves. Try to revive the others if you can. The rest of us will go search the house. Back us up if we need it."

Harry bound their elf prisoners in magical ropes.

"You think that will hold when they wake up?" asked Ron.

"Pray and hope that it does," replied de Lancre. One side of his head was bleeding and he looked just as filthy as they were.

Ron found his wand in the rubble and kept it at hand. They approached JD first to check on him.

"You alright?" Ron asked JD.

"I think it's just my leg. Whatever it hit me with broke my bones. I've never seen elves do that before," said JD.

"Who does?" asked Ron. "Who knew elves can be that brutal when they want to be."

"Or if their master wants them to be," added de Lancre.

One of the three senior Aurors, a fifty-ish looking man with gray hair came back carrying something in his arms. Ron realized it was dark-haired little a girl in braids who looked too frightened to struggle.

"I found her in one of the bedrooms. She seems to be alright, just a bit shaken." He set her down on the dilapidated couch, but when she saw the bound and unconscious elves, she desperately clutched back at the Auror who brought her out.

"There, there, it's alright," comforted the older Auror. "We'll get you back to your Mum and Dad soon." Place seems to be clear," he said to de Lancre, Harry and Ron. "The other elves are probably gone by now."

Another one of the Aurors came running back, looking pale and worried. "We found something I think you should see."

Ron, Harry and de Lancre, immediately followed her. She led them to another bedroom in the flat where the other Auror was standing with a lighted wand. There was a sickly smell inside the room.

"There, on the floor," the female Auror said hoarsely as if she was going to be sick.

Ron and Harry and de Lancre shone their own wand lights down. But as they did, Ron realized why the other Auror was cringing that way. The walls of the bedroom were splattered with blood and on the floor was the bloody remnants of what used to be a living person.

De Lancre kneeled near the corpse and examined it. "Burst arteries on the neck, ruptured internal organs," he said almost mechanically.

Ron managed to swallow his disgust and moved closer to the body. He caught sight of something that glittered near the hand. It was a large gold ring and on it was a family crest.

"_Harry, isn't that the—"_

"_I know."_

"I think," Harry said grimly. "This is—or was—Draco Malfoy."


	32. The Pensieve

**Chapter Thirty Two**

**The Pensieve**

"They t-took them away… one by one" the little girl said in almost a whisper.

"You mean the elves?"

The girl looked confused, but the healer described the creatures with big ears and big eyes and she nodded.

"And where did the elves take you and the other kids?"

The girl shook her head. "I don't know… It was always dark and it was cold..."

"Cold? What do you mean?"

"It was cold… when they came… so cold… so scary…" She shook her head again. "I want to go home!"

The image of the child disappeared and the healer's face came up prominently on the screen before them. She shook her head.

"I can't get anything more out of her," said the healer. "She's too distraught and I don't want to push it. Her parents are here but I'll be keeping her for observation. Hopefully, we can get something more later."

"Thank you," said Chief Atalanta. "Please inform us if there are any changes."

The image of the healer disappeared and lights were restored to the room. Harry gave a tired sigh. He, Ron, De Lancre and the remaining members of Team 2 who were not currently recovering from injuries had just finished viewing the recorded inquiry done on the girl they had rescued earlier in one of the private rooms in St. Mungo's. The girl appeared to be the only one whose memory wasn't erased. She however, appeared to be kept much in the dark of what happened to the other children. She didn't know where she was kept at all, only that they moved her around a lot. She didn't recognize either Draco Malfoy or Diana Mackenzie when she was showed their pictures. All she recognized were the house elves who kept her for weeks in bare rooms, though she appeared to be properly treated with regards to food and hygiene.

"I'm taking this case over personally," Atalanta announced. "Since some of your teammates, including Alastor are out of commission at the moment, I'm including Team 3 in this case. De Lancre, Weasley, I want you back. I don't see any reason why you shouldn't."

"What about Tonks?" demanded Harry.

"I can't place her in yet because of her ties with Mackenzie—and that's the end of it," she added when she noticed Ron was about to protest. "Now, what do we have?"

"Well the ring and the autopsy report confirms it's Draco Malfoy," said one of the older Aurors. "When we found him, he couldn't have been dead for more than a few hours. No idea though how it happened or why. We all assumed he was behind this."

"How about the elves you managed to capture? Have you questioned them?"

Alicia shrugged. "We tried. But they wouldn't say anything but mutter obscenities. At least they haven't been able to escape their bonds."

"Can they be identified if they are Malfoy's?" asked the Chief.

"We've set the ARD on tracking them down. Trouble is, there's no registration for elves, so we can't really be sure who owns them."

"I've asked Dobby but he said he doesn't know them either," said Harry. You think maybe they're owned by someone else?"

"Most likely," Alicia agreed. "I mean, if they were Malfoy elves then Draco would've ordered them to protect him, not let him die while the elves battle it outside against intruders."

"They could be obeying last minute orders to protect him," Ron offered though Harry as well as everyone else in the room knew that it wasn't likely. There was another more chilling theory that everyone was thinking of but were afraid to voice out: that the elves could belong to Mackenzie if she was really the one behind it all. Alicia's team had earlier tried to track down Mackenzie's squib brother, but he seemed to have disappeared just as mysteriously as she did.

Atalanta glanced through the report they submitted earlier. "What about that broken pensieve you found in the room with Malfoy?"

One of the senior Aurors shook her head. "We really have no clue with that. We know he stole ingredients to make it but we don't know why he needed it."

"Torture people by letting them see his horrible memories?" Ron suggested. Everyone except Atalanta fought back snickers.

"_Ron, we're being serious here."_

"_Alright! Geez, it's almost three in the morning and everyone's too tired and frustrated. I was just trying to lighten the mood."_

Atalanta smirked. "Very amusing, Weasley. But does anyone else have a theory on this without trying to be funny?"

"On the contrary, Chief, I think my partner may be on to something," said de Lancre seriously.

"I am?"asked Ron in surprise.

De Lancre ignored him and continued. "Pensieves are not just vessels for memories. As we all know, another person can enter it and see someone else's memories. If you place sealing charms while another person is viewing a pensieve, one can be literally trapped inside, forcing that person to watch those memories over and over again. And if the memories are particularly bad… well it just might be a form of torture. That is why pensieves are Ministry regulated and the ingredients for making them are illegal."

The Auror Chief appeared to consider what he said and nodded approvingly. "I suppose you are right then. But what can he gain from letting a person be tortured that way? And what did he want with those children?"

De Lancre shrugged.

"He's just downright sick?" Ron offered again. "Or maybe he wants to see other kid's memories because he's greedy and isn't content with his own miserable ones?"

"_Ron!" _Harry warned.

"_What? Maybe I'm on to something again."_

But their partner just rolled his eyes at them and the Auror Chief glared.

"_Okay, so that was a bad guess. Can't blame us for it. We just came from a battle after all and it's almost three in the morning!"_

Ron rubbed the cut on their shoulder which was hurriedly bandaged earlier. Slash curses were really messy. They healed more slowly than the normal cuts, and they hurt a lot worse. Right now the pain killing potion they had taken three hours ago was starting to wear off and Harry could feel the beginnings of a sting burning again.

The Auror Chief seemed to realize her Aurors were already too tired to brainstorm and had nothing more to offer for the night. She dismissed them all to recuperate. With Team 3, on the case, Harry, Ron and de Lancre had at least a day off until their next report shift.

"_I'm beat,"_ said Harry as they trudged outside headquarters. He hadn't felt this drained in months since their last Auror exam. _"And this is beginning to hurt. It will feel like hell in an hour. You think we can get something for this before we go home?"_

"_Sure, Harry. Let's go ask a healer."_

They headed up to the fourth floor to the spell damage section, where a number of their fallen comrades, including Moody, were currently recuperating. The area was a hub of activity and all the healers they met there were too busy with other patients to pay any attention to them.

"_Let's just go home, Harry," _said Ron. _"Maybe Hermione could do something about it. She is a healer too."_

At the mention of Hermione, Harry began to feel queasy. It was easy to push away thoughts about her when they were in the thick of fighting. But now he knew he had to face it again. He knew Ron was about to fess up to Hermione at the Ball and somehow he just couldn't stand it. He couldn't bear to watch Ron just tell her how he felt. He had to get them away from her somehow. It was horrible of him, but he had never been more grateful when de Lancre had shown up and pulled them out for an emergency. For so long he had kept Ron away from telling her and somehow he had to keep doing just that. He had to stall somehow.

"_Can we at least check on Moody first?"_ Harry asked.

"_Harry, it's almost three—"_

"_I KNOW! Just for a few minutes. IT CAN'T HURT, CAN'T IT!"_

"_Alright!"_ Ron replied, irately. _"Blimey, Harry. Do you have to be so edgy all the time? What is with you tonight?"_

Harry forced himself to calm down. _"Look, I'm just tired…"_

"_If you're tired, we should just go home. You did most of the spell work back there."_

"_But I'm also concerned about Moody," _he added quickly.

"_Fine, just a minute."_

They found Moody in the same room where the first two rescued muggle born boys had been placed weeks ago. Moody was sitting up in bed, fiercely eyeing the healer, who was using the tip of his wand to glide across the Auror's limp shoulder.

"Mr. Moody, please," the young healer begged. "You must lie back down!"

"I don't need to lie down!" he growled, although Harry could see he was wincing in pain. "I don't need anyone poking around at me. Just give me a pain killing potion and I'll be on my way!"

He tried to stand up, but he couldn't seem to move his only leg and he fell back to bed.

"I tried to tell you Mr. Moody," said the healer. "You won't be able to get up even if you wanted to. Now please, stay put and let me attend to you."

Moody grumbled but sat back down. He noticed Harry and Ron standing at the same time as the healer.

"I'm sorry, but you have to leave," began the healer, but he stepped back as he got a good look at them. "Oh, it's you Mr. Weasley."

"Can you at least make an exception?" asked Harry. "I just want to talk for a few minutes to my superior officer. I promise I won't be too long." He took the healer aside and added in a whisper. "It may calm him down a bit if he talked to me."

The healer nodded gratefully and let him approach from the other side of Moody's bed.

"You don't have to tell me," Moody huffed. "Andrea took me out, didn't she?"

"Sorry Moody," said Ron. "She doesn't want Tonks in too."

"Might as well. She would have taken me out sometime. I was Mackenzie's mentor when she was young. Known her since she was a kid. I trust her same way I trust Tonks or you two—even with the evidence pointing against her."

"Don't worry," Ron assured. "We'll keep you informed just the same. Chief put us with Lancry back on the case."

Moody managed a grimace. "Good boys—Bloody Hell!" he winced as the healer touched a sensitive spot on his arm with the tip of his wand. He shouted a list of invectives that startled the poor healer so much he sent the basin lying on the side table over turn, spilling their liquid contents on the floor.

"Mr. Moody please!" the healer looked about to cry. "That's the second batch of potion I had to get for you tonight and that potion is hard to come by!"

Moody just gave him an irritated huff. The healer used his wand to repair the broken pieces of the basin and muttered a spell to set a mop moving to clean up the mess on the floor then he left to get more potion.

Harry curiously watched the mop move by itself to clean up the spilled potion. "What was that anyway?" he asked Moody.

"Bloody hell I care," grumbled Moody.

"It's a potion to remove imbedded elements of magic Mr. Weasley," replied the healer who appeared with a fresh bottle.

"Imbedded elements of magic?" asked Ron. "What's that?"

"Mr. Moody has been suffering from an imbedded paralysis hex," explained the healer who appeared to be more willing to answer questions from the calmer Auror. "It's very advanced magic. Very few can actually perform it. It's a hex that imbeds a spell inside you—such as a paralysis hex. You can't remove the effects of the spell with a simple Finite Incantatem. You need a potion to do that."

"And that potion can remove it?" asked Harry.

"Yes, it actually draws it out then contains the unwanted magical elements. It's only pretty recently that someone managed to figure out how to do it. The potion's been available for years and we didn't even know we could use it. Could have saved hundreds of lives in the past, if we knew."

The healer poured the contents of the bottle into the basin and used his wand to let it mix by itself. Harry was all set to take his leave when he noticed something. The basin was giving off a familiar silvery light.

"Is that… a pensieve?" he asked.

"Why yes," said the healer. "You know how you can remove memories from your head and put them in there. Turns out, you can also use it to remove unwanted magical elements. It's really a breakthrough on magical healing."

"_Ron, could this mean…?"_

"_I'm getting you Harry. But why does he need them? And what's with the children?"_

Harry thought for a while and surveyed the room while he was at it. His eyes fell on a glass of water next to the pensieve and a memory came back to him of the last time they had been to this same room. One of the two boys that were rescued were toying with the water in the glass. Something about trying to make it bubble with magic but he couldn't. Suddenly an idea struck him.

"Moody, I have to go. I think I'm on to something."

"_Harry, what is it?"_

Harry didn't answer but ran out of the room and stopped a healer passing by. "Where's that girl that was just rescued?" he asked frantically.

"Room 4D," the bewildered healer replied. "But no one's allowed—"

"Thanks!" replied Harry and ran to the appropriate room and burst through the doors, ignoring the protests of two aides and an Auror who was stationed outside.

The head healer was attending to the girl who was sleeping. Next to her was a couple in muggle clothing who were looking bewildered at their surroundings. Harry figured they were her parents.

"Sir—you can't come in here!" the healer cried indignantly.

"Wake her!" Harry ordered the healer.

"Who—how dare you come in here, my patient is in a delicate condition!" she protested.

"I'm an Auror and I'm part of this case and I need to know something right now."

The girl's parents protectively shielded their daughter from them but Harry could see the abject fear in their eyes. Harry calmed himself down.

"I'm sorry," he said gently to the worried muggles. "But I need to know something about her."

"Mr. Weasley, I don't care who you are, but I'm not going to ask again," the healer warned. "Leave now!"

Harry ignored her and looked to the parents. "I was one of those who helped rescue her. I'm not going to hurt her, I just want to help. Please, let me," he begged.

The parents gave him a hesitant look but stepped aside to let him pass. Harry knelt down next to the bed and pointed his wand at the girl.

"Enervate!"

The girl blinked her eyes open and looked frightened for a minute until she saw her parents who held her hand.

"What's her name?" Harry asked the father.

"Emily," replied the man.

"Thank you," Harry looked back at the girl. "Hello Emily. My name's Harry and this is my wand," he held up his wand. "Hold it for me and give it a little wave, will you?" He looked to the parents. "You might want to stand back a bit."

The parents complied and the girl waved his wand.

"Is something supposed to happen?" asked her mother.

"_Harry, what are you trying to do?"_

Harry gave the girl Ron's wand. "Try this one," he said and the girl waved it again.

Nothing happened. Harry turned to the other witches and wizards present and borrowed all their wands. He handed the wands one after the other to the girl to wave, but the girl couldn't produce even a small spark.

The head healer looked worried. "Why isn't there anything happening?" She summoned an item from another room. It was small crystal-like ball but it felt as soft as a cushion. "Here, Mr. Weasley, let her hold this," she said.

"_What's this?"_ asked Harry.

"_It's a magical testing ball, Harry"_ explained Ron. _"Magical parents let their babies play with it. It's a way to determine if your kid's finally showing magical powers. It lights up when they touch them."_

"_Just what we need. You could have told me, there's such a thing."_

"_You didn't ask."_

He handed the ball to the girl but still nothing happened.

"I thought she was a muggle born witch?" the healer asked.

Harry turned to her. "She was. All those kidnapped children were magical muggle borns. Now, none of them are."

"What does that mean?" the girl's mother asked and Ron echoed her question in Harry's head.

"_It was the pensieve, Ron. Malfoy used the pensieve. You were right, you were on to something there. Except that Malfoy wasn't stealing those kid's memories through the pensieve, he was stealing their powers."_

The healer looked sadly at the little girl then at her parents. "She'll be alright," she said. "She's going home with you and you don't have to worry about these strange things anymore."

The head healer looked at Ron and Harry. "We'll keep her for observation for another day or two, maybe we could still find something to help the investigation. After that I'm recommending you obliviate all of them. It's best they don't remember this incident anymore. No use when the girl's already a muggle."

Harry nodded. "But tell me something about the pensieve." He told her his theory of using the pensieve to draw out magical powers.

The head healer looked impressed but shook her head. "It's a possible explanation Mr. Weasley, except for one minor flaw. As far as we know, the pensieve can only draw out traces of magical elements and store them. I'm not sure you can draw out entire magical abilities from an individual and store them using a pensieve. There are ways of course to remove all magical abilities like what we do with our capital punishment system, but I've yet heard of a way to store removed magic for someone else's use. Of course I might be wrong. These are relatively new areas of research. Why just the other day, I've read something of a similar nature, but I can't remember all of them. I have to read up on them again."

"Can you perhaps forward the references to the ARD?" asked Ron.

"Of course. Now I'm sorry, but you must really let my patient rest."

Harry thanked her and walked out the door. He fought back a yawn.

"_We need to head home," _said Ron.

Harry considered it. Hermione was probably asleep by now and he figured Ron was probably too tired to do anything anyway. Still he wanted to stall just a little bit more. _"We still need to at least submit a report on this one so Team 3 and the ARD could look it up."_

"_You do it, Harry. I'm tired."_

Harry was about to complain that he was similarly exhausted, but nevertheless complied. He found a piece of parchment in the hospital lobby, hurriedly scribbled their findings and their theory and sent it via one of the public owls in the hospital to Auror Headquarters.

"_Oh, can you apparate us home," _Ron asked._ "My wand's still a bit wobbly from that hex."_

"_I don't know Ron. I'm all drained out."_

"_Well if you prefer to floo and get additional bruises to the ones we already have… "_

"_Alright," _said Harry. He took out his wand. He pointed it to himself and with his last bit of energy, apparated them home.

**A/N: Thank you again for all your reviews. To those who have been waiting for it, don't worry, the romance with Ron and Hermione is about to come up. But just as a warning, this story is not primarily a romance fic, so it won't delve too much on fluff and it will involve a lot of heartaches along the way. **

**To froggiesrcool, Orion's name is pronounced as 'oh-rhy-on,' like the constellation. What's a 'Garry Stu' by the way? I never really got how that Mary Sue thing came about?**

**I noticed that a lot of my readers are leaning towards the Slash genre (I do check the bio and other favorite stories and authors of my reviewers and those who listed me as their favorites). I was actually quite surprised I got your attention with this fic. I never really saw my story as having any inclination towards Slash. It was never my intention and I'm not planning it to be one. Still, I appreciate that you have shown interest in it and I hope you continue to read it.**

**Disclaimer: In addition to everything else that I borrowed from J.K. Rowling, I reutilized one of her own chapter titles from Book 4 in this chapter.**


	33. Ending Evasion

**A/N: Here's my last post before we all settle down to read the Half-Blood Prince. As a bonus, it has a fluff scene so I hope you R/H shippers enjoy it. **

**I will be continuing this story based on pre-Half Blood Prince canon, so those who won't be able to read it immediately won't have a problem with spoilers. See you all after Book 6.**

**Chapter Thirty Three**

**Ending Evasion**

Hermione tossed aside the book she was holding. It was no use reading when she was too worried. She wished Ron and Harry had a clock similar to the Weasley's home. It could at least allay her fears that they weren't in danger in any way.

Hermione felt like an emotional rollercoaster all evening. She had gone through a mix of feelings by turns. She started angry of course when Ron and Harry had gone on with that stupid jealous rage over Orion. Of course, she was flattered too that at least Ron was jealous. But then he or Harry—she couldn't tell exactly—had held her so roughly. It was all so disconcerting.

Then they took off so abruptly. At least Orion had the graciousness to bid her goodbye. And although she knew that their emergency was probably more important, she wished that they could at least have said something even for a split second.

But as the evening wore on and they still had not returned, Hermione began to worry. Alone without even a date, she had wandered around among old friends, making small talk but giving only half her attention. Even Professor Dumbledore's offer to her to teach a newly opened subject on magical healing for next term didn't lift her spirits. Finally, when she couldn't take the waiting anymore, she looked for an Auror to ask for their whereabouts. But every single Auror around that she asked—including that French girl Harry and Ron had taken to the ball—refused to give any details. They said that that she, as a civilian, was not entitled to know about the confidential workings of the Aurors.

She had always been privy to what Harry and Ron were doing. It was always the three of them. Suddenly she felt like an outsider. And it infuriated her even more that that girl who Harry and Ron seem to hang around so much, shared something with them that she could no longer take part of.

Dejected, Hermione went home early and spent more hours in a fit of jealousy and frustration. By midnight however, and without an owl, she became fearful again. What could have possibly happened to Harry and Ron that kept them up so late? Were they in danger?

Four hours later, however, Hermione was back to being furious. How dare they make her worry so much? She was their best friend and she should know what they were doing at this ungodly hour. She demanded it! She was entitled to it!

It was at this state that Hermione found herself at half past four in the morning. "Just wait until they come home!" she said out loud. "How dare they make me wait and worry like this! 'I am sorry Miss Granger,'" she said in a mock accented voice as she imitated Maddy when she talked to her this evening. "'But Ronald eez out on duty and we cannot tell you where 'cause eet eez confidential.' Confidential! Ron and Harry don't keep any secrets from me! That French tart should know that!"

She paced into the living room, in a fit. "I'll show them confidential! Harry and Ron better come up with an explanation when they appear or else I'll—"

There was a popping noise and Hermione turned around to find her best friends apparating in. But one look at them and her rage melted.

They had a gash on the forehead, their robe was torn in several places, and they appeared dirty and worn as if they had just come out from a battle.

"What happened!" she shrieked.

They collapsed on the couch and Hermione grew even more panicked.

"Ron? Harry? Are you alright! Are you hurt?" She fiddled with the wound on their forehead.

"Relax, Hermione," Harry or Ron said slowly. "We're fine. It's just a bruise, it will heal."

"I was so worried! I didn't know you'd be hurt… where were you?"

Ron or Harry held up a hand to silence her. "It's alright. It's a tough night but we survived. And it's just Ron, by the way. Harry exhausted himself too much when he apparated us home."

Hermione breathed a sigh of relief. "Tell me what happened?"

"In a minute, give me some time to catch my breath. How about ringing Mickey for something to drink—coffee seems like a good idea right now. It's almost breakfast anyway."

"Oh let me get it," said Hermione. She used her wand to set a kettle boiling with coffee. When it was done she summoned the drink with two mugs and set them on the table.

Ron took a huge sip and sighed pleasantly. "Thanks."

"Now will you tell me what happened?"

"The team handling the case got an anonymous tip on Malfoy so we had to go and assist in the assault. In turned out to be an ambush."

Hermione's eyes grew wide with concern. "Was anybody hurt? Was Orion…? I mean is he okay?"

Ron's expression darkened. "Yeah, the git's fine. He didn't look as charming as he was at the Ball after the attack, but I suppose you won't mind that so much," he said sarcastically.

Hermione's temper flared and she suddenly remembered that she was supposed to be angry at him. "Oh honestly, Ron! If you're going to be this difficult, then I'm going to bed."

She turned and prepared to march up the stairs, but Ron pulled at her arm.

"Don't go."

It was the gentleness of the way he said it that made her look back at him and she was struck once more with the way his eyes were pleading at hers.

"About last night…" he began slowly as if he was choosing his words carefully. "I really wanted to talk, but Harry was in his moods and… you gave us the shock of our lives by being with Lancry. We weren't expecting that…"

Hermione felt her heart lighten. She knew how hard it was for him to apologize, and this was as close as he could get to a full one. If she didn't help him along they would never get anywhere and this may be the only opportunity to be alone with him in a long time.

"Ron, I'm not interested in Orion. I barely know him. But he's also a friend in a way and I'm just concerned."

"Seriously?" he asked hopefully.

"Yes, and I'm glad you're concerned with me. But I'm worried about you too." She stopped, unsure what to say next. On the one hand she felt that maybe Ron was on the brink of admitting his feelings, but on the other, she was curious as to what happened to him and Harry tonight. The latter curiosity won over. "But tell me what happened tonight after you left," she said.

Ron appeared relieved. "Well, we went into this flat and elves ambushed us and sent half of us into the hospital. Harry and I were part of the fortunate half that didn't end up being admitted."

"Elves?"

"Yes, nasty buggers. The bloody creatures are just plain killers Hermione. I've never seen anything like that. Think of an uninhibited Kreacher with the disposition and power of a Hungarian Horntail times a dozen. That's what we endured tonight."

"Well that's not surprising. Elves are very powerful creatures. I've been looking for Asian references on elves for two years but I couldn't find any until just before I left. It turns out the reason why I can't find any is because the elves in Asia are different from the ones we're used to."

"Different? You mean they look different?"

"Yes," replied Hermione, excitedly. Who would have thought there would come a day when Ron Weasley would be interested in her research for once, and on elves of all things! "And they don't just look different, they're regarded differently." She summoned a book from one of her trunks and opened a page of an illustration of a small creature attired regally in shimmering robes of gold and royal blue. It was looking up from the page like a reigning maharajah, without any of the subversive manner they were used to seeing on elves.

"This is an elf?" asked Ron.

"Well, in India, it is. They have a lot of names for them, but in all the places I've been to they're regarded by the wizarding communities and even some muggles with highest esteem and an air of mystery. They're like how we treat Centaurs here. Well there are also very few studies on elves there too because they like to keep their privacy. But I did managed to speak to one in India and I asked him why the big disparity between the Eastern and Western elves. He was a little hesitant at first but—"

"Hermione, cut to the chase," complained Ron.

Hermione rolled her eyes but relented. "It turns out, more than a thousand years ago all elves around the world were free. They were peaceful but powerful creatures who just wanted to mind their own business while they live in harmony with wizards. But then in Europe, several families of wizards wanted to harvest the potential of their magical powers for their own benefit. One pureblood wizard figured out a way to do just that. He invented a spell that would enslave all elves and their subsequent offspring. Then he gathered most of the pureblood families who hunted down every single elf in Western Europe and subjected them to the spell. From then on, elves became mere property."

"So you mean this spell made them what they are now?"

"Yes, and that's not all. Those wizards altered the elves' memories then destroyed all records of their prior history. That's why I couldn't find any reference to them at all before around the seventh century. So you see, elves have been victims of injustice for centuries. It's about time someone did something about it. Someone—"

"Alright!" Ron said hurriedly, cutting her off. She had the feeling he did it to keep her from continue on raging about elf rights. "But tell me more first about that spell?" he continued. "Does anyone know how it's done?"

Hermione shook her head. "I can't find any reference to it and the elf I've asked only described it vaguely. Much of what he knew was just from the little bit of oral history of the elves that survived. Elves don't keep records and the European elves have been kept out of contact from the Eastern ones so the chances of figuring it out are slim. Anyway, even if we did find out what spell it was, I doubt it can be useful, unless there's a way of undoing it."

"But these elves we met tonight. They were amazing—and I mean that in a bad way. They've been throwing us spells that we didn't even know, like this embedded spell thing that you have to—"

"Remove using a pensieve, I know." Hermione was pleased. "I'm glad to know you're finally reading up on my work."

Ron, however, appeared confused. "Your work?"

Hermione's face fell. So he hadn't read it after all.

"You mean you invented that?" asked Ron.

"Yes, Ron. I discovered that healing technique using a pensieve. And if you bothered to read any of the journals I sent you, you'd know it's been an acceptable method in St. Mungo's for six months now. There's a lot that I've discovered that are quite revolutionary and—"

Ron held up a hand to silence her then gave her a condescending smile. "Does that include more effective pain killing charms? Because I could use one right now."

Hermione would have continued on ranting on him but Ron had quickly removed his outer robe and lifted up his left sleeve to reveal a bandaged part of his hand which was beginning to seep with blood.

"Why didn't you tell me you've been hit with a slash curse?" she reprimanded. She took his arm to examine it and tutted at the shoddy work on his bandage. "They're still applying this outdated technique? This will take you weeks to heal. I know a better way. Go on upstairs, take off those robes, get into bed and wait for me there."

Ron's eyebrows shot up and he grinned slyly at her. Hermione blushed when she realized what she just said.

He stood up and leaned in close to her. "Alright Hermione, I'll go. Just don't keep me waiting too long."

Hermione felt more heat swell up her face and her heart beat with excitement.

"This doesn't involve needles, does it?" Ron called from the stairs in a half-worried tone

"Uhhmm… no," replied Hermione hurriedly. "It's a salve… I have to use a salve…"

"Mmhhmmm… sounds nice." He was teasing and it sent a shiver up her spine. She caught a wink from him before he disappeared up the stairs.

It took her half a minute to move from where she was sitting on and rummage through her trunk for the appropriate potions to mix. It was a testament to her potion making-abilities that she managed to make the salve with trembling hands.

"Don't be silly," she told herself as she trudged up the stairs to calm herself. "It's nothing. He's just asking for relieving and you're the only healer around."

But when she entered his room, she let out an involuntary gasp. Ron was sitting up in bed, completely shirtless. He gave her a mischievously grin that made his meaning clear: he wanted more than a pain reliever.

Hermione could feel her heart pounding but she forced herself to calm down. _What happened to the shy Ron who couldn't work out his feelings? _She asked herself. _He's already worked them out, _her internal voice replied. _He had for months now. He just hasn't had an opportunity to take action. Now he's taking advantage of that opportunity and you better do too before Harry wakes up._

She approached him carefully but she was all too aware that Ron was watching her. Suddenly her comfortable pajamas appeared hot and stifling under her silken night robe. Unconsciously, she loosened the belt of her robe to let a bit of air in. She didn't realize until a second later what she had done, when Ron responded with an even more pleased look. She blushed and forced herself to look away from his face. She searched frantically for something to do to relieve the tension when she remembered why she sent him here in the first place.

She concentrated on his arm, but at this proximity she could smell the soap he used from his hurried shower. She used her wand to remove the bandage so she wouldn't have to touch him.

"This one's bad," she said rather stoically. "It hit a vein. It must have hurt a lot."

"Why don't you kiss it and make it better for me."

Hermione told herself to ignore that last remark. _Why does this feel like an ending chess game with Ron?_ She breathed deeply before taking his arm in her hands and gently applying the salve on the wound.

"Feel better?" she asked.

"You have no idea," he murmured close to her ear.

_He's making a move to corner you, but you still evade him. _She turned away to dip a fresh bandage into the salve and carefully bound it to the wound.

"I learned this in China," she rambled. "It begins the healing process faster than any potion we have in the West. It's also a pain killer, so you won't feel anything until it heals completely." _Good save._

"Can it work here too?" he asked, pointing to the small gash on his forehead.

She cringed. _Alright, he's closing in for the kill. _ "Yes," she replied. She dipped her index finger on the salve one last time then applied a little on Ron's face, ignoring his eyes._ But I won't give him the satisfaction of an easy victory. I'll move away somehow._

"Is there anything else hurting?" she asked.

"Yeah, there's another one, right here."

Ron had his finger pointed at his lips. _Uh-oh, shouldn't have asked that, I'm playing right into his trap! I've got to get out somehow! _She pretended to look more closely but knew she wouldn't find any abrasion anywhere.

He stared at her and she could see the triumph in his blue eyes. She knew everything was lost.

"I think you need a closer look," he murmured before he pressed his lips to her.

_Checkmate!_

She had never felt more ecstatic at losing to Ron before. His lips were softer than she had imagined and she fervently responded to him, reveling in the release of years of frustrated passion. He crushed her to him and she held on, slowly letting her fingers run through his hair and down to his expansive back.

Ron's lips moved down to her neck and at the base of her throat. She felt him tug off her robe and his fingers were fumbled over the buttons to her pajamas. She knew he would reach her bare skin soon when a sudden fear crept over her. She pulled away slightly and forced him to look at her. "Is Harry asleep?" she gasped.

Ron's eyes rolled up for a moment before returning to gaze at her. "No answer," he murmured.

That was enough for Hermione. She pulled Ron back to her and soon they were back where they left off. Her world was spinning and she didn't want it to stop. There was no way to quell the fire once it had started and she gave in completely, leaving out every last scrap of her regret, fear and reason.


	34. Aftermath

**A/N: I know some of you won't like me for this chapter, but it's essential to the plot and I already wrote this before HBP. But just so you know, I'm an H/R shipper and we all know who's going to be at the losing end of this romance. (Can't argue with JKR, she already confirmed it in HBP). Don't worry, Harry will have someone to comfort him. It's just that it will take some time for her to come along.**

**Chapter Thirty Four**

**Aftermath**

He was certainly dreaming. For it was only in his dreams that she appeared like this to him—sweet, soft and yielding to his every touch. Yet, it wasn't perfect. It was a bit awkward and there were moments he didn't know what to do. That never happened in his dreams. But it made it seem even better. It felt more real to him and he savored that fact that even his dreams can feel as real.

He watched her closed eyes as she snuggled closer to his shoulder. Her breathing was slowing down and he knew she was close to falling asleep. He too felt the exhaustion kicking in, but he kept himself awake for he knew the dream would end if he closed his eyes. He slowly brushed a lock of her hair to clear her forehead. When it was bare, he leaned down to kiss it.

"I love you," he whispered.

She moaned softly in his chest and clutched tighter to him. She felt her lips move against his skin and leaned forward to hear her whisper:

"I love you too. It's always been you…Ron."

His heart suddenly went full stop and his head began to spin. _RON! _The name rang on his ears and what sleepiness he had before, left him at this sudden realization:

This wasn't a dream. It was a nightmare!

And even more horrifying that the nightmare was very real!

He struggled to put everything from the moment he could remember. There was no reluctance on Hermione's part. His earliest recollection of this episode was becoming aware of her lips on his. He assumed this was all part of his own fantasy so he didn't hesitate about returning every amount of passion she gave.

_Passion she was giving to Ron! _He thought in a mixture of terror and disappointment.

"_Ron…" _he called out nervously. _"Are you awake?"_

There was no response and it confirmed what he thought. Ron must have fallen asleep halfway through his encounter with Hermione—and he inadvertently continued it!

He couldn't breathe. Hermione's body against his suddenly felt stifling. Her warmth on his chest felt like flames. Careful not to wake her, he eased himself out of bed, put on whatever clothes Ron had tossed out on the floor and ran from his bedroom as if he was being chased by a thousand dark lords.

It was early morning but the sky was overcast and let out an unusual sudden summer downpour. He ran aimlessly into the rain, willing it to wash out his horror. But not even the icy water could clear his conscience.

Ron would never forgive him! After all Ron had done for him—gave him a new life, endured his lost of privacy, so he, Harry could live—Harry had done the unthinkable!

He stumbled over something on the ground and grasped at something before him to break his fall on the grass. He looked up to find his father's death marker. He banged his head against the cold stone and wished he was gone from this earth rather than face Ron and continue to live with the betrayal.

He closed his eyes and thought that in a few hours, he'll get his wish.

* * *

Biting cold. It felt like his whole body was frozen.

That wasn't how he expected to waken. He expected a warm bed and the even warmer sensation of Hermione next to him. Instead he found himself completely wet and shivering next to James Potter's death marker with a rather painful fresh bruise on his forehead.

"_Harry? Harry! Are you awake?"_

There was an awkward silence, and he barely heard Harry whisper something back to let him know he was there. Then it assailed him. It was a mixture of feelings he couldn't place—but all of them were sad, heartbreakingly sad. There was so much raw emotion he was completely disoriented for a moment.

"_Harry? What happened?" _His own worry added to the already compounding emotions Harry was having so his body shook uncontrollably.

"_HARRY! Tell me what's wrong? Is it Hermione? Did something happen to her? Why are we here!"_

Harry just shook their head. Ron tried to focus on at least one of the feelings Harry was having, the most prominent one—it was guilt coupled with humiliation. Now why would Harry be feeling like that? A growing sense of dread overcame him and he tried to recall what happened before he fell unconscious. He had fallen asleep when he and Hermione had rested a bit. He didn't want to since she was still up, but his mind was too tired.

_HIS MIND_ was too tired, but not Harry's!

"_Were you awake last night?" _he asked suspiciously.

Harry didn't respond, but his own guilty feelings betrayed him to Ron.

"_Damn it, Harry! When did you wake up?" _

"_Ron, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to…"_

"_WHEN DID YOU WAKE UP?"_

"_After you… after you fell asleep, I think… I was confused… I swear, I wouldn't have done anything if—"_

Ron couldn't believe what he was hearing, but he could feel it in Harry's emotions and he knew his suspicions were correct. _"You didn't… After I was unconscious…" _Ron felt sick.

"_I didn't mean for it to happen," _Harry pleaded._ "I mean I thought I was dreaming. I didn't think it was real, Ron I'm so sorry."_

"_What do you mean you thought it was a dream?" _Ron snapped. _"Are you telling me you've dreaming of Hermione…"_

Another surge of guilty feelings answered for Ron and it was all too clear.

"_You're in love with her!" _he gasped. He was glad he was already sitting on the ground or else he thought he might have collapsed.

"_I tried not to, believe me I did. I didn't want to feel this way," _Harry explained miserably._  
_

Ron punched Harry's father's marker and his knuckles ached. He felt a certain satisfaction that Harry could feel the same pain. He wanted to punch him in the face if he could.

"_YOU'RE IN LOVE WITH HER? BLOODY HELL, YOU'RE IN LOVE WITH HER AND YOU NEVER TOLD ME! DAMN YOU HARRY! YOU KNEW! YOU KNEW I LOVED HER AND YOU KEPT THIS FROM ME! DID YOU THINK YOU'D USE ME TO GET TO HER? WAS THAT IT HARRY? WERE YOU PLANNING THIS ALL ALONG!"_

Harry shook their head. "No, I never intended…"

Harry didn't go on but Ron wished he just said something other than let his feelings speak the apologies. He would have preferred his friend to be stuttering with stupid explanations and he didn't have to believe any of them and he'd have an excuse to curse him into the next continent. But he couldn't have even the satisfaction of hexing Harry. There was no denying Harry was truly sorry for it, and on top of it all Ron was pitying him. Harry's heart was breaking because the first girl he had ever loved had chosen his best friend and he knew he will never have her.

Ron let out a scream of curses and he let Harry feel the extent of his anger but it was a poor substitute for venting out on someone he couldn't hurt without hurting himself.

"_Do with me whatever you want Ron, I deserve it." _Harry said.

"_Just shut up, Harry. I don't want to talk to you."_ Ron cursed him again. He was tired, angry and frustrated. But the fusion of feelings with Harry's only made it worse. It felt too much, like his head would explode.

_I can't handle this. I need to get off this! _

He wished someone would just knock him unconscious, but there was no one there but Hermione and Mickey. He doubted if either of them would do that to him. There had to be another way. An idea struck him and he doubled back into the house and straight into the cellar. He searched among the shelves of wines and spirits that Mickey had put away neatly until he found a single bottle of Firewhisky.

Using his wand, he opened the bottle and took a huge gulp of it. It burned his throat so he spat and coughed for several minutes. When it was clear, he took another gulp and savored the same burning sensation. He kept at it, until he finished off the entire bottle. The alcohol had dulled a bit of his senses, but he felt it wasn't enough. He looked around for another one, but there was nothing there but tame wines.

"_You really should get Mickey to stack us something stronger, Harry," _Ron said sarcastically. He took one bottle. _"All we have is bubbly? This is pathetic Potter!" _He tossed the bottle to the side and apparated out of the house not caring if he splinched himself. He thought it would all be the better if he did. At least, Harry would splinch with him.

Fortunately or unfortunately (Ron wasn't certain which), he appeared whole in front of the Leaky Cauldron. He entered the pub and ordered the strongest drink they had. He downed one glass after the other, reveling in the woozy feeling he got. Harry didn't even try to stop him. He could feel Harry just as desperate for the next drink as he was.

His senses were hazy, but it was still not enough. He could still remember, though not as much. He signaled to the barkeeper for another and barely registered when the man refused. He was saying something angrily at him, but he couldn't quite understand him.

"Ronald! 'Arry! What are you doing!" he heard a familiar female voice above him. He felt himself fall and land painfully on the buttocks. But the next thing he knew, someone was pouring down some bitter liquid down his throat. He spat it out but he managed to drink most of it.

He heard someone curse in French and mutter a cleaning charm. His vision was starting to clear along with most of his senses and he found a stern strawberry blonde glaring down at him.

"Maddy… what the bloody hell are you doing here?"

The girl barked something to him in French, but he caught the words "idiots" and "stupid" in between her foreign invectives so he got the idea.

"I 'ope you are pleased with yourselves," she said harshly. "You are Junior Aurors! If any of ze Aurors saw you 'ave been drinking as you are, you could be suspended! You are lucky I found you when I did!"

Ron massaged his temple to clear his head even more before looking around. He was on a couch in an unfamiliar room. "Where am I?"

"My 'ouse," Maddy replied. "I brought you 'ome and gave you a sobering potion before you get into trouble. Now zat you are awake, you can go 'ome. Zat potion will sober you immediately but will kick you with two times ze 'angover an 'our later."

"Thanks a lot," Ron replied sarcastically.

"What were you thinking? Drinking like zat? Are you both zhere? Ron? 'Arry?"

"Yes, me and my so-called bloody best friend Harry are here!" Ron roared. "But right now, he's not allowed to talk so don't ask!"

He felt her sit next to them and pulled at his face so she would look at them. "What eez wrong?"

Ron shook his head. "I can't tell you… it's complicated. Listen, I don't feel like going home right now… I just can't."

That was partly true. Hermione was still at home and he didn't want to face her now, not when he was close to going crazy with jealousy. He wanted Harry to be as far away from her as possible because at the back of his mind he was afraid that if Harry was anywhere near her he might not be able to control himself.

Maddy eyed him carefully. "I understand. You need not tell me," she said. "You can sleep on my divan today."

Ron managed to smile at her. "Thanks, Maddy. Thanks a lot." He felt Harry's gratitude for her as well.

"What zhanks?" she asked with a mock smirk. "You caused me a lot of trouble and you made me late for meeting with Fleur on my only 'oliday. You owe me. Buy me dinner next time you are free. You are rich enough anyway."

"I'll buy you five dinners if you want. I'll even get you the best seats at this season's Quidditch championship game. Just let me sleep."

"Alright," she said haughtily and tossed him a pillow. "I am going off to meet Fleur," she added before apparating away.

Ron lay back on the couch but found it hard to get any sleep. Now that he was sober he could think. Harry had either calmed down or he was asleep so Ron took the opportunity to brood and feel properly angry again. Just before the side effects of Maddy's potion began to kick in, he came to a resolution. It was the hardest decision he had to make but he had to.

_Tomorrow, _he thought._ Everything would be done tomorrow._ He just hoped he had the will to do it.


	35. Ron's Choice

**Chapter Thirty Five**

**Ron's Choice**

_Dear Hermione,_

_If you're reading this, most likely it means I've gone. I don't know how I can ever begin to tell you what horrible thing I've done to you and to Ron. I don't even know what came over me and did what I did. I have no excuse except that it was a moment of weakness. You may not realize it, but I made love to you that night in the few hours when Ron was unconscious and I'm so sorry for that. _

_I'm not asking for forgiveness, I know I don't deserve it. I accept whatever action Ron takes on me. It's his right to be happy with you and I have been a hindrance long enough. _

_Take care of him. He loves you so much._

_Harry_

Harry wearily put down the quill and let the parchment dry. He resisted putting one last note of endearment before his name. He didn't even dare put "your friend' as closing greeting as he used to do, or much less "love from" like Hermione always used. _No, _he said to himself. _Hermione would never know. It's better that way._

He had argued with himself regarding that note, but in the end, he just couldn't help not being able to say goodbye and apologize to her at least.

The first rays of dawn were beginning to light up Maddy's sunny living room. He had been awake since two hours ago and so far, Ron was still unconscious. He didn't have much time, he may only have a few minutes left. He folded the letter and sealed it. Then he got up from the couch and rapped on Maddy's bedroom door.

The French girl opened it and eyed him irritably. "So you are finally up!" she said.

Harry nodded sadly.

Maddy seem to notice his dejected mood. "Which one of you eez zhere?"

"Just Harry."

Her expression softened. "Can you talk to me?" she asked gently and he nodded. She opened the door wider and let him in. He sat next to her on the edge of her bed and gave her the letter.

"Please give this to Hermione."

Maddy looked alarmed. "Why? Harry, pleeze what eez wrong?"

"Everything." And he told her. By the end of it, Maddy's eyes were glistening with tears.

"'Arry, you do not 'ave to go. I will talk to Ronald."

Harry shook his head. "No, let him. It's time that I go." He looked up at her and gave her a sad smile. "It was great meeting you though."

"'Arry, no! I do not want you to die!"

"I'm already dead… just the letter, please."

Maddy nodded before gripping his hand tightly in hers. He clutched back, comforted at her support.

Harry was startled when his hand moved back so suddenly and he felt hot anger overwhelm him. He didn't need to hear Ron speak to know he had awakened.

Maddy appeared to sense it too, Harry guessed, from the expression of their face.

"Ronald… can we not talk about zhis!"

"I don't want to talk about it Maddy," he said coldly. "Thanks for letting me stay for the night." Ron stood up and reached for his wand.

"Ronald…" Maddy begged.

She had a hand on their shoulder but it was Harry who gently eased it out. "Maddy, don't. Let go… just let go."

Maddy reluctantly withdrew and Ron took advantage of it to run out of her flat.

"Ronald, pleeze!" Harry could hear her. "Do not kill 'im!"

Ron ignored her and Harry caught a glimpse of Maddy's panic-stricken expression before Ron apparated them to the Manor backyard where they both knew Maddy couldn't follow.

"_Just do it, Ron,"_ resigned Harry.

"_Shut up, Harry!" _replied Ron. He didn't appear to be shouting, but the way he said it was bitingly cold. _"That's the only thing you can do for me. I want full control of my body. And that means, no matter what I do or what I say, you don't do or say anything, do you understand?"_

"_Yes…"_ he replied, though Harry didn't understand at all why.

Ron breathed deeply and strode into the house.

The moment they stepped in, Harry saw Hermione looking like a hurt puppy awaiting her master's return. She had a half-worried, half-hurt expression and she appeared to have been up the whole night. Harry's heart twisted painfully and he felt a double dosage of it that he knew came from Ron. Strangely, though, Ron rearranged their face and looked at Hermione coolly as if it was common seeing her like that.

She made a move to hug them, but stopped herself in time. Her cheeks were reddening and she looked uncertainly up them. "Is… is Harry there?"

"Yes, but don't worry. You can talk to me. He knows anyway."

"Oh…" she blushed even more. "Well, I suppose he would know eventually… but Ron, where… where did you go? I was worried. You were gone… I thought you had an emergency so I checked Auror Headquarters, but they said you were off for the day… I checked with Molly but she said she hasn't seen you…" She paused and bit her lip uncomfortably.

"I was with Maddy," Ron said curtly.

Hermione's mouth fell open and Harry could see her lips tremble at this revelation. "Maddy? That-that girl… but… we…"

"_Ron, what are you doing?"_

Ron gave an uncomfortable sigh that Harry could sense was not entirely sincere. "Look, about the other night. Really sorry about that. Things just went a little overboard…"

Hermione looked like someone placed a full body bind on her. Harry could have mistaken her for a statue except that her eyes were slowly glistening with tears.

Ron turned away but continued as if he was asking whether she liked milk in her coffee: "You know how these things happen and I'm really sorry that we let things go out of hand. Look, can we just forget it ever happened?"

Harry couldn't believe what he was hearing. _"Ron, why are you saying that?"_

"_Shut up, Harry!"_

"Out of hand? Forget it happened!" Hermione stormed. Ron avoided her gaze but she pushed at them to face her. Both Harry and Ron winced at the sight of her. A single tear was running across her cheek but she was too angry to notice. "I don't understand… Ron… I thought, you and I…"

"_RON!"_

"_HARRY, FOR THE LAST TIME, IF YOU VALUE WHATEVER LAST BIT OF FRIENDSHIP WE HAVE, SHUT UP!"_

Harry complied, but his heart sank even more at Ron's next reply.

"Hermione, I like you as my friend, but that's all. I didn't mean for the other night to happen. Maddy and I, we have a thing you know—we got together yesterday, you can understand that, can't you?"

Harry saw the blaze of hatred in Hermione's eyes and she made a forceful motion with her hand. He expected to be hit on the chest but nothing happened… that is until a few seconds later when they realized their robes were on fire.

Harry panicked but Ron seemed to be expecting it and lazily shouted "Aguamenti!" on themselves. But even in their soaking robes, Harry could feel a few burns on their arms and back.

Hermione didn't even give them one last glance. She pointed her wand at herself and disappeared.

"_Why did you do that? How could you lie to her like that?" _Harry cried. _"Why didn't you let me go? You should have let me go!"_

Ron picked a small glass vase and hurled it into the fireplace before setting the grate blazing with an intense flame.

"BLOODY HELL, DON'T YOU GET IT!" Ron screamed. He tossed another item into the wall. Harry was too worried to care what it was but it left shards of glass on the floor.

"WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO! DO YOU WANT ME TO BE YOUR MURDERER! DO YOU!"

Ron sent the couch and several other pieces of furniture flying in all directions. This went on for quite some time until there was nothing left in the living room that wasn't in its proper place. Finally, exhausted, Ron sank to the floor and crushed their head in their hands hard as if he wanted to squeeze their brain out. _"I love her, I always have. But I'll give her up because I will never forgive myself if I killed you! And I might just do that if I'm with her, I can't risk that!"_ He let out a stream of curses. Harry didn't know what to say. He never wished for death more than he wished for now.

"_I can share everything with you, Harry. Except her. And if I can't be with her, then neither of us can. It's either you or her. And damn you, but I choose you."_

The door suddenly burst open and in came Maddy followed by Ginny, both looking apprehensive.

"Ron, don't eject Harry!" shouted Ginny.

Ron snorted. "Relax, the bloody traitor is still stuck to me."

Ginny and Maddy didn't appear convinced. They were taking note of the mess in the living room and they appear to shudder at the thought. "Prove it!" challenged Ginny.

"_Go on, Potter."_

Harry waved his wand and out came his stag Patronus.

"Thank goodness you're alright!" Ginny hugged them.

"Oww!"

"What?" asked Ginny. She gently shook off part of their robes that were burned to reveal a few scorch marks at their arms and back.

"What happened to you?" said Ginny.

Ron attempted to cover up the scorch marks with their remaining robes but it was useless. "Bugger off, this is nothing."

"But you're burned—"Ginny began but Maddy lightly touched her arm and shook her head at her indicating she shouldn't pry further. Ginny looked confused but looked sternly again at Ron and Harry.

"Ron, don't you dare—"

"I'm not planning to!" Ron shouted back at her.

"Alright…" Ginny said uncertainly. "Look, I don't really understand what's going on. Maddy just came at the Burrow and asked me to bring her here and stop you from ejecting Harry. If you want to talk—"

"What is it with girls and always talking? NO, I DON'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT! THAT'S BETWEEN ME AND HARRY SO KEEP OUT OF IT!."

Maddy stepped up calmly. "I think we should go," she said to Ginny then turned to Harry and Ron. "I can make excuses for you. You do not 'ave to go to work today. You can just rest."

But Ron had already gotten up. "No, I'm going to work. Give me a few minutes to freshen up, we can go together."

Maddy nodded. She and Ginny used their wands to set a few things straight in the thrashed living room while Ron headed up to shower. Harry was grateful for Ron's decision. Work was at least a distraction. He secretly hoped they would end battling something today.

When they reached their room, Ron picked up something—a small bottle from the side table of their room that Harry had never seen before. He felt Ron's heart constrict for a moment when he held the bottle. He applied a little of its contents on their arms and back and their skin stopped hurting almost immediately.

When they came down a few minutes later Ginny looked calmer but Harry noticed the understanding in her eyes. Just before they parted, Ginny and Maddy shared a knowing look. He expected that both girls will be keeping close tabs on him and Ron to make sure he, Harry will still be around.

Maddy said nothing as they walked together to Auror Headquarters from the Atrium. The moment they stepped inside a dozen Aurors surrounded them, all with wands raised.

"What's going on?" Ron asked.

Harry recognized three people in the crowd: Terry, Blake and Padma. It was Terry who spoke first.

"Maddy, could you step aside please." He pulled his partner away. "Look, Ron," he said rather apologetically. "We just need to ask you some questions."

"Questions? What are you talking about? And what's with the wands…?"

"What is going on here?" another voice said. One side of the wall of Aurors broke through and in came Chief Atalanta followed by de Lancre.

"What eez the meaning of this?" de Lancre demanded. "Why are you pointing wands at Weasley!"

A senior Auror pushed him aside. "Keep out of this de Lancre. Chief, we just found something out and we just need Weasley to answer a few questions."

The Auror Chief folded her arms across her chest. "I'm listening."

The senior Auror nodded to Terry. "The elves broke free yesterday. Two of them were seen in St. Mungo's and they managed to steal something—a pensieve. And they also took down a few hospital staff along the way." Harry sensed Terry had added this for his and Ron's benefit since the Chief appeared to be aware of that fact.

"Before they escaped," continued Terry. "We managed to get a profile of the elves and we found a way to track them down—or rather Blake here figured out how." He nodded that Blake should explain.

"Well you see," Blake began nervously as he found all eyes on him. "I thought that elves are always used to carry errands for their masters in home maintenance and such. So most likely these elves have been sent off to buy things from shops before. So Padma and I," he pointed to his partner. "We were up all night making inquiries to all the shops we could think of in the major wizarding shopping areas."

"And so?" asked the Chief.

Blake gulped nervously and glanced furtively at Ron and Harry. "We… we found a furniture store keeper that confirmed two of the elves had been to his shop before. They've placed orders for deliveries for a particular house a few years back. We managed to trace the house."

"Where?" asked the Chief who was clearly getting impatient.

Blake gave her an address in Geneva then looked at Harry and Ron as if assessing their reaction.

"Who owns the house then?" asked Ron.

Blake refused to meet his gaze. It was Padma who answered. "Well, Ron… you do."

"WHAT!"

"It was registered under your name Ron," Padma explained. "It used to be under Harry's and before that it belonged to Sirius Black."

Maddy stepped forward. She faced Chief Atalanta confidently. "Chief, Ronald 'as nothing to do with zhis! 'E may own ze 'ouse but not ze elves!"

"What are you saying, Dindarte?" asked Atalanta.

It was de Lancre who answered for her. "Chief, I think it is obvious what happened here. Weasley inherited the house from Potter who inherited it from his godfather, Sirius Black. But that does not mean he inherited the elves. Elves do not pass on to legal heirs, only to blood heirs."

"So you're saying…"

"Zat whoever owned ze elves were serving on behalf of a former property of ze Blacks," finished Maddy. "Zey are Black elves."

"Of course, it makes sense now," said Ron. "Draco's mother was a Black. Through her, he can control the Black elves."

"But you are forgetting one thing Weasley," said the Chief gravely. "Draco Malfoy's dead. But the elves are still carrying out orders from someone else. Someone who also possesses Black blood."

Harry and Ron paled. "No, it can't be," Harry gasped. "You don't mean Tonks?"

**A/N: Sorry if it took me a while to update, got too caught up with HBP. Just a reminder again that this won't follow HBP canon (well I think except for one spell I used in this chapter), so those who haven't read Book 6 won't have to deal with spoilers. I only have a few more chapters to go before I close this story so I hope you stick around until it ends.**

**Thank you again to all those who reviewed. To "mushroom" sorry about not being able to accept anonymous reviewers before, I didn't know my settings didn't allow them. Another reviewer brought that to my attention only quite recently.**


	36. The Black Owl

**A/N: Here's the next chapter, just in time for Harry's birthday, but this won't exactly be happy for Harry or Ron. Hope you like it just the same.**

**Chapter Thirty Six**

**The Black Owl**

Ron stirred his coffee in dejection. His day at work had barely begun but he was already so exhausted. It was the kind of emotional drain that twisted his nerves making him almost incapable of moving or thinking straight.

He shoved the documents in front of him away as if they were infectious. He was inspecting everything Tonks owned on her desk on Atalanta's orders but it didn't feel right.

He downed his coffee as if he was dying of thirst and summoned a kettle to have it refilled. The kettle stopped halfway in the air before it reached his cup. Ron wondered for a moment why before it drifted back into the tiny kitchen they had at headquarters. Ron cursed loudly at the unknown person who stole his coffee and stood up ready to give whoever that was a piece of his mind when he found Maddy directly in his path.

"Zat was your fourth cup, you 'ad enough coffee I zhink," she said.

"Leave me alone," Ron said irritably.

She didn't step aside. "Ronald, you 'ave to calm down."

"I'm calm as I can ever be!"

"You are not from where I can see. You are drunk with caffeine. You 'ave to stop. If you cannot 'andle today, ask for a leave."

"I can't do that right now when we're on the case. Just where the hell is Tonks anyway? Why isn't she here yet, she's supposed to report hours ago. She's making things worse for her by being away."

Maddy gave a tired sigh. "You are not the only one worried about her. Atalanta's already ordered Aurors to track her down."

"Like she was a criminal," Ron said sarcastically. "Bloody Chimaera. And she won't even let me join in looking for her. Lancry's out there, why not me?"

Maddy looked at him nervously. "You mean 'us,' do you not?" she said.

Ron snorted. "You don't have to worry about the git that's occupying my body, he's still here but I don't want him talking right now. And you can stop checking our magical signatures every half-hour. I know what you're trying to do."

Maddy flushed guiltily.

There was a sudden commotion from the entrance of the Headquarters and Maddy and Ron craned their necks to look. Ron could see his partner step up looking worn and heaving deep breaths.

"What happened de Lancre?" Atalanta asked as she came running out of her office.

"I was at her flat. She attacked us. I barely escaped. Dawlish and two others with me went down. I got Dawlish out and brought him to St. Mungo's, but the others…" he trailed off and sadly shook his head.

Ron's temper flared and he could feel Harry's rise just as fast. "You dare accuse Tonks?" Ron demanded of their partner.

De Lancre faced him with equal rage. "Yes. It is hard not to after she tried to shoot me with Unforgivable curses!"

"_YOU_ said she shot at you! How would I know you're not lying?"

"Right now, you cannot. But you can ask Dawlish—if and when he gets out of ze coma! Think about that and those two dead Aurors next time you want to defend your dear friend! I warned you about her before and you did not listen to me!"

"You had no basis for it!"

"Here is my basis! If you do not believe me, go there and try to arrest her yourself if you dare!"

"Enough!" Atalanta shouted. "Weasley, hold your tongue and the same goes for you, de Lancre. I do not tolerate quarrels in my ranks. This is getting out of hand. Weasley, you're off the case, you're too close to Tonks. De Lancre, my office now for debriefing, then you can go to St. Mungo's if you need further treatment. Team 3, get ready for an assault, though I doubt you'll find Tonks at her flat anymore. The rest of you," she turned to the all the other Aurors. "Back to your jobs! Move!"

Ron and de Lancre wordlessly stomped away in opposite directions. Ron was too tired and too wrapped up in his own anger with the world to care that he and Harry were thrown out of the case. He walked out the door.

"Where are you going?" he heard Maddy ask from behind him.

He stopped walking to face her. "I don't know," Ron replied. "Home maybe, I haven't decided—"

"The Burrow," interrupted Harry. "I don't believe Tonks did it and I'm not going to stop figuring this out."

Ron was rather annoyed at the interruption, especially since he specifically asked Harry to shut up. But he realized Harry did have a point. As much as he was mad at him now, this was no time to their personal lives get in the way. They needed to prove Tonks innocent. He let Harry continue.

"We need to contact Remus. If anyone knows her, it's him. I just need to find out from Mrs. Weasley how to get in touch with him."

"Eez zhere anything I can do to 'elp?" asked Maddy.

"I know you're still on duty," said Harry. "But owl us if something comes up, alright?"

"Yes, will you be okay?"

"We're fine—and this is Ron talking," he assured her.

She nodded and went back to work. Ron headed to the nearest public Ministry flooing station. He was about to request to use the station from the witch in charge, when she beckoned to them urgently.

"Mr. Weasley, how fortunate you're here. I was trying to get you at the Headquarters but they said you already left. I was afraid I have to send roving memos around the Ministry just to find you. You have a message. A Miss Weasley is waiting for a reply. It sounded important." She handed him the jar of floo powder and let him access to the nearest fireplace.

"Ginny?" Ron called when the smoke finally cleared his vision and revealed his childhood home.

"Ron! Harry!" she cried as she crouched down into the grate. "Thank goodness you've replied."

"What is it?" asked Harry. Ron could sense his sister's panic.

"It's Hermione. Her parents are here. She came home to them a few hours ago. But several elves attacked their house and they took her!"

"WHAT!" Ron's felt his chest constrict all of a sudden. _This can't be happening! Not after I—No! Not her too!_

"Her parents couldn't do anything," said Ginny who was already on the verge of tears. "They said she tried fighting them off, but they were too powerful. Her parents didn't know what to do. It was a good thing their house is still connected to our exclusive floo. That's how they got here."

Ginny drew back a bit and Ron could see Mrs. Granger crying in Mrs. Weasley's arms in the background.

Ron's mind seemed a blur and it seemed like such a struggle just to remain standing. He couldn't stand this alone.

"_Harry, where do you think—"_

"_I don't know," _he hesitated. _"Wait… if they were Black elves then that means—_Owww!"

Both Harry and Ron winced at something that pecked at their arm which was outside the fire. There was a second peck, then a third. From beyond the fire, they could hear the witch in charge of the flooing station shriek:

"Get off you stupid bird! Can't you see he's busy talking to someone? Your letter can wait! Owww!"

There was a sound of scuffle and finally Ron felt the witch's urgent touch on their arm.

"I'm sorry to interrupt Mr. Weasley, but this bird is—Owww!—it won't stop pecking. If you don't mind cutting your conversation short—Owww! Get off! Get off!"

Ron was extremely annoyed and would have shouted at the witch but he figured she wouldn't hear him over her own screams and the racket she made fighting off the owl.

"Ginny, give a minute, I need to deal with something."

Ron withdrew their head from the flames and looked to the poor witch that had scratches up her arms and face. The owl was dark as night and immediately stopped its assault when it saw Ron give it attention. It held out its leg in a smug manner. Ron untied the small piece of parchment from its leg and the moment it was loose, the owl flew off.

"Blasted bird!" Ron cursed. "What could be so important…" He opened the letter and what he read instantly altered his opinion. Written on blood red ink was the short message:

_Potter and Weasley,_

_If you wish to see Hermione Granger alive again, come to Black Castle alone._

_The Black Heir_

Ron felt their heart race faster than a speeding a bludger.

"_She's got her, she's got her Harry."_

"_Who's she? You can't think that Tonks would do that."_

"_I don't know!" _said Ron miserably. _"She knows about you sharing my body and it's also addressed to you not just me. We have to go there and if it is Tonks… I'd hate to think about it but we have to get Hermione somehow."_

They looked up from the letter just as they sighted de Lancre approach.

"Weasley, we need to talk," he began but he was interrupted by Ginny's head appearing in the fire.

"Ron! Ron! Are you still there?" she cried desperately. "What can we do? What do we do about Hermione?"

De Lancre suddenly looked from Ginny to Ron and Harry with a worried expression. "What happened to Hermione?"

"None of your business, Lancry!" Ron said savagely.

"She is my friend too and I want to know. Tell me, what is wrong with her?"

Ron continued to glare wordlessly at his partner. De Lancre searched their face and fell on the parchment Ron and Harry were holding. He snatched it before Ron or Harry could react. They tried to retrieve it but it was too late. De Lancre had already seen the message.

"Where did you get zhis?" he asked apprehensively.

"An owl delivered it," admitted Ron. "It took off before I could do anything."

"She is missing?"

"Kidnapped by house elves."

"Then let us go to this Black Castle now!"

Ron and Harry glared at him. "It says to come alone."

"Are you an idiot!" cried de Lancre incredulously. "Zat is the first thing we do not do at an assault! I will call for a full assault team."

"If we come in there like an army they could kill her!"

"Weasley, you are not thinking straight. Look, I will ask for back-up but they can follow discreetly. We go ahead."

"It says just me," complained Harry.

"I will come with you. It will not be so noticeable if it is just us two in front."

"Forget it!"

"I am your partner, Weasley. Whether you like it or not, I am coming with you! Hermione is my friend and I do not want her hurt. Let me come or I will hex you!"

"I'd like to see you try," challenged Ron as he drew his wand.

"Ron please!" begged Ginny from the fire. He had forgotten she was there. "Hermione's in danger and you're wasting time!"

"Listen to your sister, Weasley. It will be no good to Hermione if you are captured as well. You need me."

Harry and Ron both fumed but resigned to the fact that de Lancre was right again.

"Let me inform Headquarters," said de Lancre. "But just so you will not leave until I get back—" Without warning he cast a spell on Harry's and Ron's feet so they were glued to the floor.

"LANCRY!" they both screamed. They tried to undo the hex but it wouldn't come off.

"Just wait for me there!" shouted their partner before heading off to Headquarters.

"He's right you know," said Ginny from the fire.

"Fine! Side with him!" roared Ron.

"Ginny, just tell your Mum and Hermione's parents we're going for her at Black Castle. Someone sent me a message telling us to come there alone," said Harry. "And could you contact Mickey?"

"_Mickey?" _asked Ron. _"What do we need Mickey for?"_

"Just an idea," replied Harry. "We could use an elf back-up since we're dealing with elves again. It could be good to inform Dobby too. Send them over to Black Castle, but please tell them to be on their guard and to come by stealth if they can."

"Of course," said Ginny worriedly. "Ron, Harry, please be careful."

"We will," replied Harry.

The fire died just as de Lancre came running back. He undid the spell on their feet.

"Let us go, Weasley."

"Aren't we going to wait for back-up?"

"They are right behind me, but we have to go. How do we get there?"

"We can floo," said Harry. "I'll go first."

"Alright." He held the jar of floo powder at Harry and Ron.

Harry got a handful and stepped into the grate. "Black Castle!" they both shouted. Ron felt the usual spinning while the Ministry grate disappeared out of his sight. He waited in anticipation and wondered what he would find at the other side.


	37. Heir of the Ancient Noble House of Black

**Chapter Thirty Seven**

**Heir of the Ancient and Noble House of Black**

Harry and Ron both had their wands out the minute they fell out of the fireplace. The Castle interior looked the same as Harry last saw it. The flickering chandeliers gave it an eerie air despite the elegant furnishings their lights showed in the elaborate drawing room. It was so silent that de Lancre's crash as he appeared out of the grate appeared disturbingly loud.

"Where do we start?" de Lancre whispered as he glanced around in full alert of his surroundings.

Harry shrugged. He and Ron crept silently towards the main hallway. They hadn't gone five steps away when more than a dozen elves appeared from all directions and started shooting random spells. They warded off most but there seemed to be more and more elves appearing until they were entirely surrounded. As the last of their defenses weakened and a spell hit them, Harry's last thought was that he hoped back-up would arrive soon.

* * *

Ron and Harry woke up with a groan. They were quickly on alert but found they were unable to move.

"_What happened?" _Ron asked.

"_We got stunned. Where are we?" _Harry looked around. They were standing pinned against a damp stone wall in what appeared to be an enormous cellar dimly lit by a few candles hanging on elaborate but eerie looking candle holders. They were completely immobilized with a full body bind except for their head. Harry could make out some kinds of horrible machines around the room. Harry thought they looked like torture devices.

"_You think we're in the torture chamber Remus told us about?" _asked Ron.

"_From the looks of it, I think it is,"_ replied Harry grimly.

"_We have to get out of here. You think Lancry or the back-up team got captured too?"_

There was a sound of a heavy door opening then closing, followed by footsteps slowly going down a stone staircase. It stopped at the bottom step and they could hear that person approach them. More candles lining the walls began to flicker alive and Harry could at least recognize the person as de Lancre though it was still too dim to see his face fully. Still, Harry had never been so grateful to see their partner before.

"Lancry, get me loose, quick!" Ron called out. "We have to—" His words died out and Harry knew why. Ron could feel it too. Something here was very wrong.

De Lancre paused in front of them and pointed his wand.

"Crucio!"

Excruciating pain shot out from all over them. Ron had felt it before, but not while he was completely immobilized and pinned by magic to the wall. It felt twice as painful. It seemed to go on forever until it suddenly stopped. Immediately, the pain was replaced by a horrifying sense of dread as their partner stared at them with an unreadable expression.

"Wh-What do you think you're doing?" Ron gasped.

A small smile appeared at the corner of his lips before he muttered lazily: "Crucio!"

The second wave of pain seemed to grow so much longer than the first. Harry fought to keep his mind focused, knowing if it lasted longer he and Ron would lose it. But just as he thought he was about to give up, it stopped.

"In answer to your question, it is just being typically me. Strike first, ask questions later. Or rather, answer questions later. Do not worry Weasley, you will get answers. I want you to know everything with a sane mind—so you'd know how you will suffer afterwards. But I could not resist having a little fun, so I decided to give you a taster."

"You! You planned this all along?" cried Harry.

"How observant," he drawled. "Did you not remember what I told you before? Question everything! You have been quite lazy doing that."

"What do you want?" demanded Ron. "And where's Hermione?"

De Lancre held up a hand. "All answers in good time, Weasley—and Potter. Yes, of course. We must not forget to acknowledge Harry Potter even if you are not polite enough to introduce yourself to me."

"How do you—" Harry began.

"How do I know? Oh I have known for a long time. It is not that hard to put it all together. I am not as foolish as to believe that you have a rare ability to use two wands, or have two Patronuses. And of course Hermione's work on soul transfer is a dead give away. She obviously has you in mind when she talks about transferring souls. I am shall we say a fan of yours Potter and I have done my bit of homework on you. You have something special in you—and no Weasley, that's not you," he wrinkled his nose at them distastefully.

There was a popping sound and Harry recognized Balder appear with a bowl in his hand—a pensieve. He looked at Harry and Ron sadly but shook his head as if he was apologizing for their situation.

"Set it on the table there, Balder," said de Lancre. "And bring our other guests. I think Potter and Weasley would be pleased to see them."

"Yes, Master," replied the elf meekly. He gave them another sorry look then disappeared.

Harry was as surprised as Ron. "But… Balder is a Black elf… How could you… What have you done to Tonks?"

The door burst open and two elves that they recognized as part of Balder's family appeared. One was levitating Hermione who was also in a full body bind. Behind her was another woman bound and brought in the same fashion. Harry expected it to be Tonks, but it wasn't. It was the last person he had expected to see: a youngish woman with dark untidy hair that he had seen only a few times before. It was Diana Mackenzie.

The elves set them on the cold floor and Harry could see Hermione and Mackenzie were awake but only their eyes moved.

He gave them a mock smile. "There, I kept my promise did I not? You have seen your precious Hermione alive. I added Mackenzie as a bonus. As for my dear cousin Tonks, she is quite indisposed of for the moment. I cannot have her competing with me for the elves' submission."

"Cousin?" asked Ron. "But I thought 'de Lancre…'"

"'De Lancre' was my mother's name. A noble family yes, but not significant enough. My real name is Orion Black." His expression hardened. "At least it would have been, if Tom Riddle let my father live long enough to marry my mother and make me his legal heir."

Harry racked their brain and suddenly it made sense to him. "Your father—he was Regulus Black!"

"You catch on pretty quick, Potter. I figure it is you who did. Weasley always struck me as the dimmer one. A dim-witted mudblood lover who managed to claim the entire Black fortune that should have been mine!"

"Is that what you want?" shouted Ron. "The money? Well take it! Take all the bloody gloomy houses and every last knut in your damn family's vault! I don't want it! All you had to do was ask!"

"Oh but I want more than the wealth. I set my sights higher than that. I want what Potter has. I want Lord Voldemort's powers."

"Powers? What do you mean? I don't have his powers." Harry attempted a mock laugh but de Lancre wasn't convinced of his bluff.

"Oh yes you do," said de Lancre. "Parseltongue was not the only thing he transmitted to you that night you first defeated him. Dolohov was eager enough to inform me of that. And his source was his own former master so there is no doubt about it. You have something of what remains of Voldemort's and I want that if I want to be the Dark Lord that would finally succeed on what he failed."

Ron added his own scornful laugh that sounded much more convincing. "And how exactly do you intend to take that from Harry?"

De Lancre glared at him as if he was trying to explain to an annoying child. "Hermione, you should have forced them to read your work. But they were never up for reading were they? I think I should let you explain."

He partially undid the body bind on Hermione so she could talk. For a moment they could not hear anything out of her but a rasping gasp as she attempted to talk after having been gagged so long.

"I—I found a way to transfer someone's powers, not just souls from one person to another," she said rather tearfully but she grew braver each second and she faced de Lancre with a viciousness that Harry swelled with pride for her. "But you can't make Harry do it! Not even with Imperious. You know the only way to do it is if the person is willing to give up his or her own powers for the benefit of the other."

"Yes, I know," said de Lancre as coolly as ever. "But that was just one way. The one you published. There is another way to do it by force that you forgot to mention in the journals. I have your notes to prove it."

"You stole my notes!" she asked indignantly.

"When you have dozens of elves at your disposal, it is easy enough to do that. Just as it is easy to track you down when I had an elf follow you from the Ministry Ball. A shame you stayed at Potter's home so often when you are here or I could have kidnapped you sooner. Imagine my pleasure when you moved this morning to your parent's house which was quite unprotected. But I am getting off point. Would you care to tell your friends—or should I say lovers—what was the other way to get Potter's powers off."

Hermione stared at him with her eyes blazing. "You know it can't be done in reality, only in theory! There's no way of controlling dementors! You can't simply tell them to suck only the magic without sucking out the soul and deposit them in a pensieve."

"Oh but on the contrary, there is a way," gloated de Lancre. "And that is where Mackenzie comes in. Would you care to join this discussion and enlighten us, Diana?"

He did the same unpartial removal of the body bind on her then bid her to speak. "The elves…" she rasped even weaker than Hermione did at first. "Elves can control… dementors better than wizards can… I wanted to show… Aurors how… easier to imprison dementors that way than Patronus… elves can make them obey… better than Imperious…"

De Lancre shook his head and gave "tsk-tsking" sound. "It is a shame. Atalanta took her out of ARD when she had so much to contribute there. But we never give enough priority to research, do we not Hermione?"

"So you've been stealing those children's powers?" accused Ron. "And using them for your own benefit!"

De Lancre shook his head. "No. They were merely tests on how much a body can take of stolen powers. I was not willing to do the power transfer until I was sure of its effects. Fortunately, I have a simpering and power hungry cousin who did it for me. He tried to turn against me and took away some elves for himself while he absorbed more and more powers from those children. Draco never really read that much either. He neglected that part that said you can only take in so much before your body gives up. After the fifth…well I think we saw the effect and it is not pretty. Cousins are so useful. One became my experimental rat, the other will answer my crimes for me."

"You framed Tonks," seethed Harry. "When Draco wasn't alive anymore to be blamed."

"Brilliant, was it not? I did it under your nose. I had Dolohov send his own elf to put a powerful Imperious on her so she would attack Kelley at Mackenzie's. I had my own elves attack the Aurors this morning at her own flat. It only takes one eyewitness to report her—Dawlish was lucky. By tomorrow he will be out of the coma and will be singing her name as the culprit after I modify his memory. I also planned the capture of one of my elves so his profile could lead you to that house in Switzerland—which by the way is quite a comfortable piece of property as well as the other Black homes."

"Those houses belonged to Sirius!" exclaimed Harry resentfully.

"Who never had any need of them since he was in prison," mocked de Lancre. "If you have ever wondered why I have a perfectly good accent, it is because I travel a lot. Accommodations are no trouble, what with so many estates across Europe. They may not be mine legally, but the elves are always hospitable. This Castle has been my favorite and I am quite annoyed at Tonks for coming over last year and taking my elves to build your filthy house. But she will get what is coming to her. After I get her shape-shifting powers I can dispose of her. Then I can always pin the blame on her for everything I do."

"So what are you planning to do, build an army of second version Death Eaters?" Ron said sarcastically. "Voldemort copy cat."

"On the contrary, I have something better than that so-called half-blood Lord had ever come up with. I have scores of elves that can fight better than your average Auror. But better yet, I have Diana Mackenzie, who possesses the only knowledge of the same subjugation spell that her ancestor used to enslave all the elves. I think that would be quite useful in making the world's muggle population subordinate to me."

Harry's stomach plummeted at the thought. An enslaved muggle population would be the end of it. There was no way to stop him once that happened. And after that who knows what race he might target next.

"I'll never tell you how to do it!" Mackenzie shouted despite her obvious pain. "The women in my family have kept that secret for centuries. Nothing you do could change that!"

De Lancre towered menacingly at her. "We will just have to arrange more torture sessions for your brother then? He will not have an easy death like Fian. You are quite stubborn, but you will crack soon enough."

He turned to Hermione. "As for the brilliant Miss Granger. You have served your purpose luring your lovers to me."

"You hurt her, I swear—" Ron began.

"Oh, I will not kill her yet. She is reserved for someone else."

The door opened and a hulking figure entered. He was every inch as horrible as before: deformed face, scraggly hair and that evil smiled that grinned at Hermione's helpless form. Harry felt his and Ron's blood boil with fury.

"Dolohov can have her magic. You are quite charming Hermione, I admit, but I have quite patrician tastes and mudblood is not part of them. I leave what is left of you to Dolohov's discretion."

**A/N: There you have it, the mystery solved. I give credit to ****froggiesrcool**** for pointing out early on that De Lancre's first name is "Orion" which is Greek in origin, not French. I don't know if you noticed, but the names of the fairly recent Black family members with the exception of Narcissa and Nypmhadora are all related to stars (Sirius, Regulus, Andromeda, Bellatrix, Draco). I decided that an illegitimate child by Regulus might follow in the same tradition. As for the name "Pierre de Lancre," I got that from history. Pierre de Lancre was a great but ruthless witch hunter in the 17th century. But in this story, it's different. He hunts for power, not witches. Orion, as Greek mythology tells us, is also a hunter. It was a lucky amazing fit when I was looking for a name. **

**As for Maddy's name, I got it from "Marie Dindarte," a 17-year-old convicted witch that Pierre de Lancre investigated in 1609. I didn't like the name Marie, so I changed it to Madeleine.**


	38. Friendship and Freedom

**Chapter Thirty Eight**

**Friendship and Freedom**

Ron had never felt more miserable in his entire life as he watched the tears fall silently on Hermione's cheeks.

_This is all my fault. If I didn't say what I did this morning, she wouldn't have gone to her parents'. She wouldn't be here now. _

He wished with all his might of whatever magic there was out there that she could hear his mind as well as Harry's. He would give anything to take back what he said this morning to her. It hardened his resolve to get out of this situation, but he just couldn't figure out how. They were completely in the mercy of another Dark Lord in the making but this time there appeared to be no way out.

"_Harry, we can't die like this!"_ he said desperately. _"I can't let her die like this!"_

"_I know. I've tried breaking this bind, but even my wandless magic won't do. It's not powerful enough. Maybe if we tried together?"_

"_You know I don't know how."_

"_Try. Help me. Focus your energies on breaking it with me."_

For the first time since yesterday morning, Ron was grateful Harry was with him. Together they concentrated on breaking the spell, but somehow it did not loosen in any way.

De Lancre noticed their expression and began to laugh. "Are you under the impression that you can break that bind without wands? Save your energies. It will not happen. I had an elf bind you. It will take more than two wandless wizards to break that."

"I tell you what," de Lancre smiled cruelly. "I will give you and Dolohov a treat. He can have powers first and you can watch the entire process of turning Hermione into a muggle. Would not that be nice?"

"As nice as I want to see the insides of your head split into a thousand pieces and use the shell for bludger practice!" growled Ron.

"Quite creative set of insults, Weasley, but it will only happen in your dreams. Which will cease of course after I have Potter's powers and feed your souls to the dementor."

He called for Balder and several other elves to bring the dementor in.

"Atalanta's prejudice with you has worked to my favor. Since she has never assigned you on dementor guard duty I am always alone on my watch. Alone and free to take a dementor out to serve my purposes."

De Lancre continued to gloat but Ron was no longer paying attention. He was looking at Hermione. Her eyes were focused on them, her lips moving silently as if she was speaking. But it was her gaze that called to him and made him calm. It was as if she was begging him not to break eye contact with her and so he didn't. He stared at her for what seemed like hours though hardly a few seconds had passed. He felt completely mesmerized with her and suddenly there was nothing else in the world that mattered. Keeping her gaze was all that was important.

He could feel something changing inside him. He couldn't understand it but he felt as if she was so much nearer to him and that she understood his need to break free so greatly.

_Hermione, I love you, _Ron whispered silently and surprisingly he felt as if she responded the same way. At the same time he felt something from her that made every inch of his entire body down to his bones tingle with renewed energy. Something in his head appeared to be saying to him: _Try again. Break the bind, break the bind._

He channeled this new energy into the bind again and he felt Harry do the same and where surprised when they realized they could move their fingers. It was subtle but it was there. Ron was ecstatic, a tiny surge of hope crept up his heart, but it plummeted again when he saw Hermione break eye contact with him and closed her eyes. The spell that caught him was gone, but he still felt the energy swirling in his body. Hermione however, looked exactly the opposite. She looked so pale and exhausted, as if she aged ten years in a span of seconds.

"_Harry do you feel that?"_

"_Yes," _gasped Harry fearfully. _"But Hermione… she looks so tired. It's like she just lost half her life… Oh no!"_

"_What?" _Ron gasped. He could feel Harry's sense of dread.

"_Ron, I think she's lost her magic!"_

"_What! What are you talking about? Lancry hasn't taken it out yet."_

"_She gave it away. Ron I think she gave it to us. Remember what she said? There was a way to transfer powers but only if the giver was willing. Ron, she sacrificed her magic to us, so we can be stronger and be able to break free!"_

"_Merlin…"_

"_We have to get out somehow. Come on Ron, work with me, it's our only chance."_

They tried again, this time they had more success, they were able to move their hands more but the rest of their body was still frozen.

Their concentration was interrupted by a sudden feeling of cold and hopelessness that announced the arrival of the dementor controlled by two of the elves.

De Lancre was looking pleased. "No need to worry," he assured them. "It is perfectly safe as long as you have elves to control them. As you can see, I can make it do whatever I wish. Let me demonstrate." He turned to Balder. "Balder, order that dementor to come near Potter and Weasley."

Balder made a movement with his hand at the dementor and it moved as ordered. Ron felt his own self-doubt trigger. What was he thinking? He could never get out of this situation even with Hermione's magic. All of them were going to die and he will watch Hermione die before him with her thinking that he spurned her for another girl.

"_Ron, don't give in…"_ Harry gasped. _"Think happy thoughts. We can get out, we can get out."_

Ron struggled to snap out of it. With every inch of his willpower he resolved to follow Harry's advice.

"_You're right, Harry. Happy thoughts. Happy thoughts. We will get out. We have Hermione's magic, that's more than enough to get us out of a fix."_

"_We have each other. It's always that and we can always pull through together. Remember all those years at Hogwarts when we used to work together as a team. We defeated Voldemort back then and we can do it again!" _Harry added with as much triumph as he could muster. Ron could feel the coldness weaken.

"_Yes, Harry. You're right. We destroyed that scum. And we can stand against any dark lord wannabe that comes along."_

"_Yeah!" _Harry screamed. _"Lancry's going down!"_

"_And we're going to do it, together! Glad to have you with me, Harry—my sixth brother!"_

That last thought was just so inspiring, it filled Ron with a happiness that made the dementor back off a bit. Ron and Harry would have continued in that vein but the de Lancre had already ordered the dementor away from them and towards Hermione.

"_No evil creature comes near my Hermione!"_ Ron shouted. He could hear Harry screaming a similar battlecry. Together they concentrated on their bind and they could feel the spell give way completely.

The dementor was already on top of Hermione who looked absolutely terrified but was helpless to move.

"_Ready Harry? What's your happy thought?"_

"_You! The best friend I have ever had."_

"_Thanks, mate. You're my happy thought too. Shall we do it together?"_

Harry nodded their head and they both screamed: "Expecto Patronum!"

To their surprise, three Patronuses, not two, appeared: Harry's stag, Ron's knight and Hermione's otter. The spells were so powerful they completely blew away the dementor. It retreated to a small chamber at the end of room where some of the smaller torture devices where kept.

"What the—" de Lancre was flabbergasted but he wasn't shocked for long. He had his wand out in a split second. "Avada Kedavra!"

Harry and Ron dodged.

"Balder, Odin, Frigga, I want them captured!"

The three elves hesitated but attacked all the same. Harry managed to deflect two curses with simple Expelliarmus charms before the three Patronuses closed in and made the cellar so thick with mist that it effectively hid them.

"_Ron, my wandless magic is limited. I can't do stronger charms and hexes. You have to do something."_

"_Don't ask me! I can't do wandless magic at all!"_

"_You just did now."_

"_The Patronus is different. You helped."_

They heard a shout from de Lancre and the Patronuses vanished leaving them clear targets. De Lancre launched another Unforgivable while the three elves shot out their own spells. There was nothing Harry and Ron could do but dodge. Two more elves had appeared and joined in the attack.

Harry set up a Protego charm around them just as they rolled out of the way of another spell. They were cornered near the wall and the elves' magic was beginning to break through.

"_Ron! I can't hold it! Do something!"_

"_What?"_

"_Anything!"_

A sense of de ja vu hit him. He saw something large, heavy and metallic near two of the elves. He focused his energies on his free right hand and shouted: "Wingardium Leviosa!"

The metal object levitated near two of the elves's heads then he suddenly released the spell. It knocked off the two elves. Triumph surged into Ron at this first time achievement. But more elves were appearing so there was no time to celebrate.

Their protego charm gave way with a blast from de Lancre's direction. They felt two cuts on their healing shoulder but they ignored the pain and spill of blood and continued to dodge. Harry threw an occasional simple Stupefy or Impedimenta that only managed to deflect the spells.

"_Ron, I could use some help!"_

"Relashio!" Ron shouted towards de Lancre but nothing happened.

"_Maybe a little less ambitious!" _Harry admonished as he sent another disarming charm.

"_Well I can't knock all of them over the head!"_ But an idea struck him. It sounded silly but he didn't have time to think of that. They were backed against a pile of old stuff, some he figured were rusted and fallen off parts of the torture devices. He grabbed whatever item he could carry and tossed it to the attacking elves as hard as he could. He missed but he didn't stop to think. He felt something round by his feet and kicked it as hard as he could.

"_Why the hell are you doing football—"_

But Harry didn't finish his comment. The second item managed to knock down an elf. Ron continued to toss whatever he could find while Harry continued to hurl simple hexes.

"_We can't go on like this,"_ said Harry. _"Ron, do magic!"_

"_I can't!"_

"_We have Hermione's. Use it!" _

Ron thought quickly. Hermione knew so many spells, surely there was at least some she could do easily. Then it struck him. He tried to think of how Hermione had appeared when she had used wandless spells and he focused on channeling one spell he remembered and channeled them to his right hand.

"Inflamari!" he shouted.

Hermione's favorite flaming spell knocked off a few elves. With a sudden burst of confidence, Ron repeated it and it had the same effect. He decided to try a simpler spell: "Petrificulus Totalus!"

He managed to knock unconscious another elf. He continued shouting out what he remembered were Hermione's favored simple hexes and he managed to succeed half the time in making them come out, while Harry worked on defense.

But as he went on he felt he was getting tired. Wandless magic required twice the energy and right now he and Harry had nearly expelled all of theirs. A trip jinx finally did them in and they collapsed to the floor and were not able to dodge de Lancre's partial body bind in time.

De Lancre calmly walked over to them and made a slashing motion with his wand several times. Dozens of small but ugly slashes appeared on different parts of their body one after another. Each one felt more painful than the next.

"Do not worry, that will not be enough for you to bleed to dead," he said cruelly. "I need you alive a little longer to have Potter's powers, but looking healthy is not a requirement."

He gave them one final cut on the left cheek. "There, something to match your scar before I take your magic." He ordered Balder to bid the dementor to approach.

Ron's heart sank. It was over. They were broken and bleeding on that cold floor where they would die. As the dementor approached he felt all sense of hope lost. Not even Harry could muster anything to say to him.

Ron watched in horror as the dementor above him lower its hood. He could smell its horrible breath and feel its clammy hands grasp him by the shoulders. He shut his eyes, knowing any minute he would be unconscious.

Suddenly he felt the fog slip away and he realized the dementor had moved away from him. He struggled to make sense of his surroundings and he heard shouting.

"I am your Master, I order you to kill them!"

"No, stay back!"

"_What's happening?" _gasped Harry wearily.

They fought to look up but their vision was blurred from all the blood seeping through a cut from their temple that was falling over their eyes. Ron tried to use his hand to wipe it away when suddenly he realized there was nothing to wipe and their wounds were no longer bleeding or hurting as much.

"Master Harry! Oh my poor Master Harry!"

"Mickey, Bless You!" Harry said in relief. Suddenly they realized they could move again though they still felt sore and weak. Mickey helped them to sit up.

A dozen Black elves were in the room in front of De Lancre. Across from him was a frail-looking Tonks half-supported by Lupin. Tonks and de Lancre were shouting orders at the elves, who appeared to be confused as to which Black heir they would obey.

"I order you not to listen to my cousin!" de Lancre shouted. He pointed at Lupin. "Stun him!"

"I order you not to!" Tonks quickly replied.

But Balder stunned Lupin just the same and Tonks was forced to lean on the wall. De Lancre grinned triumphantly. "It will not work anymore Tonks. I have won."

A worried look passed into Tonks face, but it lasted only a second. Suddenly she was tugging at her robes.

"Here!" she tossed it to the nearest elf who happened to be Balder. She removed her shirt and half ripped up her trousers in a hurry to remove them.

Ron and Harry were shocked. Why in the world was Tonks disrobing in front of them?

"What are you doing?" de Lancre looked just as shocked. But then realization came to his face. "Stop her!" he ordered Balder.

"No!" yelled Tonks. "You're free! And you, and you," she tossed two more elves her shirt and trousers. She was tugging off her boots at the same time. "You have a choice now! You don't have to obey him anymore!" She tossed her boots and pair of socks to four more elves. All in all, there were seven elves that had articles of Tonk's clothing, but there were five more without.

"You!" de Lancre barked to an elf without clothes. "Kill her!"

The elf moved to strike but before it could, Balder blasted it with away. The other seven elves closed in on the remaining four to protect Tonks.

De Lancre laughed. "You may have seven elves Tonks, but I have more and you are running out of clothes." He summoned more elves and he shouted the command not to listen to Tonks almost immediately as they appeared so Tonks could not command them otherwise.

"Mickey!" Harry shouted. "Do something, don't let him speak."

"My pleasure, Master Harry!" cried the little elf excitedly. And before de Lancre could utter another command, Mickey had hit him with her own spell that rendered him speechless. It gave the opportunity for Tonks to retaliate.

"Go upstairs," she said to two of the freed elves. "Inform the rest of the elves fighting the Aurors to cease and stay there until I command them to,' she said.

The two elves disappeared and Tonks signaled the rest of the elves non-verbally to step aside and they did. Tonks slowly advanced on de Lancre along with the remaining newly freed elves. De Lancre silently shot several random spells at Tonks but the elves were quick to shield her. When the air cleared, they found de Lancre had disappeared.

"He can't have apparated," said Harry to Tonks. "The place is unplottable."

"And upstairs, the place is crawling with Aurors," explained Tonks who looked relieved at seeing them up. "Ginny got in touch with Maddy and brought them. Remus rescued me from one of the rooms upstairs and got me here in time."

There was a piercing scream and Ron and Harry both realized what it meant. De Lancre had retreated to the smaller chamber in the cellar… where the Mickey had sent the dementor earlier when she commanded it away from Harry and Ron.

Ignoring their own aching body, Ron and Harry quickly got up and pushed past the knocked out elves and Dolohov who was hit by a stray spell. "Mickey!" shouted Harry. "Immobilize the dementor, now!"

But it was too late. By the time they reached the room and Mickey had kept the dementor at bay, all Ron and Harry found was de Lancre sitting on the floor staring blindly into space.

A/N: Finally, it me so long to work towards that end, but I finally made it. There will be three more chapters to go, plus an epilogue before I finally close this story.

By the way, to FredandGeorgeWeasleyareMYKings, I forgot to answer your question. The reason why they suspected Tonks is because Bellatrix is dead. Remember in the first chapter she was killed by Neville? I forgot to mention Narcissa, but she also died during the war. That leaves Tonks and Draco as the only known Blacks.


	39. Legacies of the Last Blacks

**Chapter Thirty Nine**

**Legacies of the Last Blacks**

Harry and Ron removed the body bind on Hermione and cradled her head in their lap. She was barely conscious and very weak but she was able to smile up at them. The footsteps of the Aurors bringing Tonks and Mackenzie out of the cellar were gradually fading away and soon they were quite alone aside from Mickey who was still keeping the dementor immobilized in the little room where de Lancre's body still remained in vegetable-like state.

"Thank you," Harry whispered to Hermione. "We couldn't have done it without you."

"You don't know how grateful we are," said Ron. He stroked her hair gently with loving fingers then his hand moved down to her cheek to wipe away her remaining tears. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean what I said to you this morning."

Something uncomfortable twisted in Harry's stomach and he wished he wasn't in Ron's body to interrupt this moment he knew he shouldn't be part of. It became more evident when Ron suddenly bent down and kissed her on the lips. Their lips hardly touched hers when Harry quickly pulled away.

"_Er Ron…" _he began. _"You think there's a way to return her magic?"_

"_I don't know," _replied Ron without letting his gaze off her face. _"I hope so. But even if she doesn't have magic for the rest of her life, I'll love her anyway."_

Against Ron's will, Harry forcibly turned away from her. _I want out, _he told himself. _I want them to be happy with each other without me in the way. _

"Harry… body…" Hermione murmured and Ron looked back at her. Harry understood and suddenly remembered that the solution to his problem was already there, lying in that small room in the cellar. He didn't expect de Lancre of course and he was afraid that like he told Ron a long time ago, he would hate himself whenever he looked in the mirror. But he would probably never find an opportunity like this one again. At least de Lancre was male and was his same age.

"_Harry, we need to get you into Lancry's body before the Aurors execute it."_

"_I know. But what about Hermione's powers?"_

"Enervate… me…" she gasped.

"Oh, yes, of course," said Ron. He slapped their forehead with their hand. "How could we be so stupid?"

Hermione managed a weak giggle.

Mickey had earlier managed to summon their wands from where de Lancre had hidden them in some unknown part of the Castle. He and Ron cast an enervate spell so she could at least sit up, but she still looked very weak.

"Can we give you back your magic?" asked Ron.

"Yes, if you want to," she teased.

"Of course we do," replied Ron. "We're not some power-hungry wizards like Lancry. Although… we could use some of your potions abilities..."

Hermione glared at him. "Being good at potions is not a magical ability. It's called diligence."

"Okay, okay. I know we need to work on that ourselves. Only joking."

Harry nodded in agreement. "So how do we do it?"

"It's a little complicated. You have to utter an incantation, keep eye contact with me and think about me—just me and concentrate on giving up that part of magic you have willingly to me. It's similar to the principle of transferring Harry to another body that you'll be doing later, but you only force out the magic, not your souls."

"Okay," said Ron nervously. "Too complicated."

"I have faith in you."

She used her wand to write down the incantation in the air and gave them time enough to get acquainted with the words written in Sanskrit.

When they were ready, Ron cupped her face with his hand and stared at her intently. Harry focused all his energies on her and willed whatever power she had given up to them at their time of need back to her. But he wanted to give her more—a part of him at least that he could give up to her along with her own original powers.

He felt that same connection with her again before of complete trust and love that it took a while for him to realize that he was weakening while she looked more radiant. When it was over, he and Ron sank down to the floor with exhaustion.

"You'll feel a little weak after," she said. "Lie down for a while," she hissed gently.

But Ron did not do as she said. He looked at her with utter horror and Harry could sense his panic. "Something's wrong. What just happened?"

Hermione gave them a puzzled look and tested her returned powers by lighting up her wand and transfiguring a few items on the floor into soft cushions for them to lay their head. She also cast her Otter Patronus. "Everything seems normal," she replied. "Why?"

But Ron was still looking at her as if she was someone else. Harry was equally puzzled. There didn't appear to be anything strange about Hermione.

"Talk to me Hermione—to Ron, not to Harry," said Ron.

"About what? I don't understand—"

Ron gave a relieved sigh. "Thank Merlin."

"What?" she asked.

Ron shook his head. "Not again! In English Hermione, please, it's creeping me out!"

"What do you mean…" Hermione began, as confused as ever. Then Harry realized Ron couldn't understand her half the time because she was speaking in parseltongue. He had actually given her part of his magical ability to talk to snakes.

Hermione's face lit up. "Oh, am I speaking in parseltongue?" she said in English. "Oh Harry! Why did you?"

"_You gave her parselmouth abilities?"_

"_Didn't mean to, well not specifically that, I just wanted a bit of my powers to go to her, she seems to need more."_

Ron rolled his eyes.

"Harry I'll give it back to you," she said.

"Don't," said Harry. "Consider it as a thank you gift for getting us out of a fix."

Hermione smiled. "Well, I suppose it's an odd gift but it may come in handy someday."

Maddy came running down the stairs followed by Lupin who looked worse for wear but freshly revived. "Ministry officials are coming 'ere. Ronald 'ave you gotten 'Arry into Orion's body?"

"Not yet," said Ron.

"Do it now or you may not have a chance before they execute him!" said Lupin. "We'll try to hold them off."

There was scuffle up the stairs and a lot of feet seemed to be stomping down the cellar. Harry saw Atalanta up front with a group of Aurors behind her. Maddy looked at the Auror Chief with panic in her eyes. Lupin tried to ward her off but they pushed pass him. Where they too late?

Atalanta surveyed the surroundings and looked to Harry and Ron.

"Where's de Lancre?" she asked.

Harry dejectedly pointed to the room at the end of the cellar.

"Well, what are you two waiting for?" she said. "Get Potter in his body now before the bureaucrats arrive."

Harry and Ron stared at her open-mouthed.

"I know I'll regret losing your abilities," she said. "But I suppose two heads and two bodies are better than one. So get on with it and let me deal with the legalities. It will be a hell of a job explaining this to the Ministry but it's well worth it to keep two of the best Aurors I've had in a long time." She gave them a smile and Harry and Ron knew everything will be alright.

Hermione helped them to their feet and Atalanta ordered two of the Aurors to bring de Lancre's body out. "Best to have witnesses when it happens," she the Chief. "We don't want the Ministry convicting Potter in de Lancre's body."

Hermione created several bluebell flames to form a circle around de Lancre's body. She chanted something in a foreign language while pointing her wand three times around the circle and the fire turned white. She bid Harry and Ron to step in the middle of it with her.

"The circle is sort of a buffer zone. It will buy Harry's soul a little time to enter Orion's body without turning him immediately into a ghost or crossing the after life. When you get out of Ron, Harry, don't leave the circle. Will yourself directly to Orion. Now remember what I both taught you." She coached them again of the complex incantation just to make sure they hadn't forgotten.

"Ready?" she asked.

"Wait," said Harry. "Aren't you getting out of the circle?"

She shook her head. "I have to be with you inside when you do the spell."

"Why?" asked Ron.

"Just in case. Remember before I said that the spell might go wrong. Well after Harry gets ejected from your body Ron, he will be vulnerable. He has to go immediately into Orion's body or he will die. He needs a host or he won't survive. Harry, you have to readily accept Orion's body. If you don't, you won't get in. If that happens, we need an alternative. You have to transfer to someone else…" She looked at them uneasily. "Me."

"WHAT?" both Harry and Ron exclaimed.

"You see it's harder to get inside an empty shell. Harry, when you transferred to Ron, he pulled you in. But now there's no one to pull you in. You have to wish yourself in all by yourself. If something goes wrong, Harry, if you can't enter Orion's body, I'm going to pull you to mine."

Harry could feel fresh waves of panic coupled with Ron's surge of jealousy. "But you can transfer him later to Lancry's?" asked Ron with much effort to keep their voice even.

Hermione looked even more uncomfortably at them.

"Hermione? You can transfer him, can't you?" said Ron apprehensively.

Hermione gave worried sigh. "I hope so. There's no record of anyone doing that before, I mean making more than two soul transfers… successfully that is. Soul transferring becomes increasingly difficult the more times you do it. Those who attempted more than twice either get stuck to their current host body permanently or they get ejected and die."

Harry felt the horrible nerves of desperation creep down their spine. _No! It shouldn't be this way! It was enough that he was a burden to Ron. He won't forgive himself if was going to interfere with their relationship further._

"No," Harry said firmly.

"What?" asked Hermione.

"I said no, Hermione. I won't let you do this—and this is Harry talking."

"But Harry, if you fail to transfer to Orion, you will die!"

"Then I'm dead."

"Harry—"

"No, Hermione! You are not sharing your life with me!" He glimpsed Lupin stepping up in his line of vision and seem about to speak. "Neither will anyone else!" he warned him.

"Potter, listen to reason," Atalanta urged. They had forgotten she and a handful of Aurors were still in the room.

Harry glared at her. "My life is not yours to decide on!" he said icily. "Go find yourself another Auror! If I die, I die and there's nothing you can do about it!"

The Auror Chief looked taken aback but didn't say anything.

"_Look, Harry," _Ron began tentatively. _"I don't want you to die."_

"_But I don't want to live if I know I'm going to come between you and Hermione for the rest of your lives. Let me go, Ron. To Lancry's body or death. It doesn't matter. I just want her happy. With you."_

It seemed like ages before Ron spoke to him again. "Thanks mate," he managed to choke through the heaviness in their throats. He turned to Hermione. "Step out of the circle, Hermione," said Ron.

"But…" she began fearfully.

"Expelliarmus!" Harry shouted at her. Her wand flew off her hand and Ron caught it.

Harry and Ron both shook their head at her. "Don't make us force you out," begged Ron as he pointed his wand at her.

Tears streamed down her face and she flung herself at them in a fierce hug. Harry hugged her back for what he imagined could be the last time before he pushed her away. She slowly backed out of the circle of flames and into a corner. No one dared to approach them. The other Aurors stared with puzzled expressions but not one uttered a word to question.

They knelt down to be on the level of de Lancre's body who was in a seated position. Harry closed their eyes, concentrated on picturing the body before him and tried to forget about his distaste for it. He and Ron chanted the complex incantation Hermione had taught them. No wands to help them here now only the utter willingness to let go. Harry focused on them now.

_I want Ron to be happy. I want him to have his own life without me. I want my own life in my own body. _ He thought of his old life before he died and he tried to concentrate on those memories of being alone again. Suddenly he felt detached—a feeling of lost connection from the familiarity of Ron's body. The first thing he noticed was that he could no longer feel the stinging pain of fresh wounds on their skin—_Ron's skin,_ he corrected. But at the same time, he lost all feeling altogether. He could no longer feel the ground beneath his feet or the cold draft of the damp cellar stinging skin. His eyes could see things in front of him but they appeared different, as if he was not really inside this room at all but on a different plane altogether. Everything appeared liked misty shadows and the only thing prominent was the circle of light surrounding him.

In front, he was startled to see Ron in the same kneeling position in front of de Lancre's body. Ron looked so horribly bloodied and there were horrible slashes all over him. He realized that Ron was still feeling so much pain and he was saddened by the fact that he wasn't there anymore to share it.

_No, musn't think that! I can't share that with him anymore._

He could see de Lancre's eyes staring at him with those empty pupils and he could revulsion overwhelm him. There was something beyond the circle that was beckoning to him to move away, far away from the idea of being in de Lancre's body. He was about to heed that call when he glimpsed Hermione backed into a corner of the cellar in tears. Her lips were moving rapidly in an almost prayerful entreaty and he could almost hear her whisperings: _Go to him, Harry. You have to live. You have to live. Don't leave us._

That forceful beckoning was enticing but he fought to ignore it. He focused on de Lancre's body and forced himself to go to it, willing his loathing away with resignation.

Then he felt it, the awkward presence of being inside something unfamiliar. It wasn't safe and easy like Ron's body. There was nobody here to welcome him, just an empty shell that was once inhabited by an evil being he despised. It was a malevolent thought, but he accepted it with as much effort as his will could command. Suddenly there were new aches and pains all over him that he didn't feel a second ago. He could sense the cold hard floor of the cellar against his knees, the blood pumping into them screaming for relief.

He blinked and suddenly realized he was staring at the ceiling. He felt a bit disoriented and he slowly moved his line of vision on what was in front of him. He was surprised yet again at Ron being suddenly opposite him. He hoped Hermione knew some healing treatment that could prevent him from scarring. If not, he would probably end up looking worse than Moody.

"Ron?" he whispered and for a moment he was startled by this strange voice that came out of him.

Ron stopped chanting and looked up. "Harry? Are you there?"

"Yes," he replied.

Ron didn't look convinced. "Prove it."

Ron handed him his wand doubtfully, as if he was afraid he might attack him. Harry quickly waved his own wand and let out his familiar stag Patronus. Ron breathed a relieved sigh. "Welcome back," he said.

"Thank you," he mouthed.

Harry looked up just as Atalanta shot a spell at him to check his magical signature. Sparks came out and she nodded. "It's Potter alright, just him," she assured the other Aurors before leading them back up the stairs. The other Aurors began murmuring noisily and glancing back at him with questioning looks. Maddy and the Auror Chief were a having a difficult time explaining things to them but Harry decided not to help out. He hung back a bit until everyone had left. He glimpsed Ron helping Hermione up who hadn't moved from her limp sitting position against the wall. His heart constricted a bit and he tore himself away to join his other colleagues upstairs.

"You alright?"

Harry turned just as he reached the top step and found Lupin waiting for him. "It's Harry, Remus. Don't worry. I know it will take some time to get used to it."

"I know," said Lupin. "But I wasn't talking about your new body. I'm talking about this." He pointed at his chest.

Harry sighed and glanced back at the entrance to the cellar then shook his head.

"The fireplace is still crowded with people and it will take some time for us to get our chance to floo out of here, walk with me a bit," said Lupin in his usual gentle tone. They strolled casually along the empty hallway leading to the drawing room where the fireplace was located, though Lupin's pace indicated he was in no hurry to get there.

"I know this must be difficult for you." Harry was almost startled to hear him speak but he let him continue. "It may seem horribly unfair that you're the one who had received so little love in your life, but you still have to deal with the rejection."

Harry looked up, startled. "What do you mean?"

Lupin gave him a sad smile but went on like he didn't hear him. "One might think that you ought to be selfish about this. That you'd grab at the chance if you have it. But your ability to give is admirable Harry. And that I think merits true friendship. Ron is lucky to have you for a friend."

"You know about…" Harry hesitated and lowered his voice. "Hermione, I mean… how I feel?"

"Yes, I know how you feel. It's quite easy to see it in you, when I was in the same position several years back."

Harry gave him a puzzled look.

Lupin heaved a sigh. "I loved someone once. When I was younger there was this girl. She was a wonderful person. She saw things in people that others could never see. She made me feel that way, but I knew she wasn't meant for me."

A memory of what he said struck Harry and he suddenly realized. "Was it my mother?"

Lupin nodded. "I never told anyone. Not even James. We were friends you see, even before she and James got together. We were prefects starting fifth year and we would spend time together patrolling the halls and going about prefect duties. I was the only one among the Marauders that she liked. She hated James then but I suppose you know that. But that started to change by sixth year. Their relationship was something like how Ron's and Hermione's began: with bickering and rows. How they ended up falling in love still amazes me. But they did and when they married two years after Hogwarts, it broke me. But she loved him and I never saw her happier. I knew she belongs with your father. I couldn't offer her anything anyway, what with my condition."

Harry felt an overwhelming sense of admiration for this man. He never really thought much of it, but Lupin had suffered so much being what he is. Losing Hermione to Ron appeared so trivial now compared to what his former professor must have endured through the years, not just losing the woman he loved, but also the rejection he encountered in society everyday. Here was probably the loneliest person he had ever met yet he was the most compassionate in everyway.

"You will get over it Harry. You never forget your first love but one day you will find someone who can love you back that's meant for you."

He looked up and Harry followed his gaze. He hadn't realized they had reached the drawing room which was now crowded with Aurors and a few Ministry officials who seemed to be having a fierce argument with Chief Atalanta. But Lupin wasn't paying attention to them. He was looking at Tonks who was wearing Lupin's outer robe, resting in a lavish chair, waiting her turn to use the floo. Her hair was black as night and her eyes were just as dark framed over an aristocratic arch of eyebrows complementing her heart-shaped face. Harry thought she looked oddly familiar and he realized that this must be what she really looked liked. Horribly, she somewhat resembled Bellatrix Lestrange and Harry knew why she never appeared in her true form.

She met Lupin's gaze and held it there for a moment. A silent exchange seemed to pass between them and it was gone before Harry could observe more. But it was enough for Harry to see the love between them.

"Harry?" a voice called out tentatively. He turned around and saw Maddy and Ginny behind him. "That is you in there, is it?" asked Ginny.

"Yes, it's me. But you can ask me questions if you don't believe it?"

"Okay…" she said. "Where did I put my elbow at breakfast when you came to visit my house the day after your twelfth birthday?"

"The butter dish," Harry promptly answered. "You fancied me then and you weren't thinking straight."

Maddy giggled.

"Good enough for me," said Ginny, brightening. "But this is just weird; you with a new body and all. It will take some time to get used to."

"I know," said Harry, with a sinking feeling that he too, like Tonks now looked liked someone he hated. Unfortunately, unlike Tonks, he couldn't easily change his face. Defiantly, he messed up his perfectly neat hair as much as possible then turned to Maddy. "Turn my eyes green, will you? And add the…" He pointed to his forehead.

"My pleasure, 'Arry," she said and tapped her wand to his face to change his eye color and add his old scar.

Ginny beamed at him. "Much, much better."

One of the senior Aurors came up to them. "Tonks, the other fireplace in the next room is clear. You can floo out now."

Lupin nodded a thanks. "Ginny, could you help?" he asked. Ginny immediately walked over to them and called up a few names. Harry was surprised when three elves appeared and obeyed Ginny's orders to elevate Tonks' chair out.

"These are Hogwarts elves," explained Ginny when she saw Harry's puzzled look. "Dumbledore sent them with Dobby to help out in the assault. Dumbledore told them to obey me for the day." She grinned delightfully.

Oh, Harry!" Lupin called to him before leaving the room. "Do me a favor, will you? Grow your hair longer."

"Why?" asked Harry, puzzled.

Lupin grinned. "It's just a whim. You're not really an exact copy, but when I look at you closely now, you look a little bit like Sirius when he was young."

Harry turned to one of the many mirrors adorning the drawing room and stared at himself. He still looked liked that despicably evil wizard, but if he peered closely enough, especially when he smiled, there were certain features of Sirius that he could detect and that pleased him enormously.

From the mirror he saw Ron enter alone and approach him and Maddy who was still standing next to him, looking apprehensively at the newcomer.

"Everything alright?" Harry asked tentatively.

"Hermione's being transported ahead to St. Mungo's," he replied evenly.

"Good," Harry said. "You should go to the hospital too. We're done here anyway."

"Yes," said Ron. "Except for one thing that I've been meaning to do."

Harry was about to ask "what?" when Harry saw a clenched fist barreling in his face. He heard Maddy scream before he blacked out.

When Harry opened his eyes, it took a while for him to focus on Maddy's face.

"I deserved that." he said to Maddy.

"Zat, you did," she nodded sadly.

**A/N: Thank you again for all those who reviewed and took the time to read this story. Only a few last chapters to go before I end. I'm not sure if I want to do a sequel, since it doesn't follow canon anymore. But I might consider making outtakes later. I just love Maddy so much, I don't want her character to go to waste. But I'll decide that later after I finish this. **


	40. Owls and Elf

**Chapter Forty**

**Owls and Elf  
**

Harry stirred his coffee and watched the swirl of black flaked with a few crumbs from his half-eaten pastry. He imagined how it must feel to be a crumb, being sucked in the powerful spiral of liquid, going deeper and deeper. But when the motion of his stirring stopped, the crumbs would eventually float back on top, though smaller in pieces as they melt away into the dreg of his drink.

He wished he could melt away just like those crumbs. Melt away in work, forever busy with trying to catch scum that he could no longer have time to think. But work must end, and he had to go back to reality.

Was it already two months? It seemed so fast. He had traveled all across the Mediterranean in search of the members of an organization manufacturing illegal potions and selling them in the European black market. Last night, he and Maddy had finally apprehended the ring leader along with a large shipment of potions that they traced to Rome. It was the final leg of the mission and although he was tired, he wished it hadn't ended so soon.

He hadn't seen Ron or Hermione since the night of his transfer to a new body. Ron was confined to the hospital due to his numerous slash injuries and complications on prolonged cruciatus exposure. Harry however, couldn't bring himself to face him. He visited only when he knew Ron was asleep and Hermione wasn't around.

Chief Atalanta had granted him and Ron a month's leave from work along with full Auror status after the Black Castle incident. But Harry begged to be sent off immediately to whatever mission that came up. When reports of the crime ring appeared and Atalanta assembled a new primary investigative team, Harry had been one of the first to volunteer. Maddy, who was looking for some action, agreed to be his temporary partner since Terry had opted to stay at ARD. On the few days before he set off for abroad, Harry refused to come home to the Manor. He spent it bunking with the Fred and George at their refurbished flat above their shop.

Before he left, he sent Ron an owl with a single line:

_Take care of Hermione._

There was no response. Harry didn't expect any.

Hermione, on the other hand, owled him several times. She kept asking when he would come home and gave glowing reports of her budding relationship with Ron, despite his being in the hospital for more than three weeks. Harry never replied. After about a month, she stopped writing altogether. Ginny, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, and the twins were his only correspondents with the Weasleys back home, but all of them tactfully refrained from mentioning anything about his two best friends.

He stirred his coffee again, willing every single flake to disappear and watched with satisfaction as they slowly melted into black.

"Eef you want cold coffee 'Arry, do not order a hot drink and stir eet until eet turnz cold. I am zure zey 'ave ice for zat."

Harry shot up immediately and saw Maddy's arched eyebrows. He realized she was talking to him and he had been completely ignoring her. He managed to look apologetic. It was their first official date after all since he got a new body. It was only breakfast at one of the better muggle cafés in Rome but it was the one of the few meals they had that they could enjoy at leisure for a long time.

Maddy was a good companion. They were pretty good as a team and so far he managed well enough without Ron. He was beginning to feel like his old self again and revel at his individuality. This morning when he woke up, he told himself he'll tell Maddy he wanted to spend more quality time with her now that the mission was over.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I suppose I was just a bit tired. I think I could use a bit more sleep. Can I make it up to you tonight? Let's have dinner, your pick of the best restaurant in the city. Then maybe we could go around someplace quiet…"

Maddy shook her head.

Harry was suddenly worried he had said the wrong thing. Did he offend her? He hoped not, because even though he knew he didn't have strong feelings for Maddy he didn't want to botch his chance for a romance. He felt she deserved it at least. She was the logical choice. She already liked him, didn't she? Now was the perfect chance to have someone special in his life too. It was time to move on.

"Look, I'm sorry. I'm really not good at this. But we could do whatever you want. I really want to get you a lot better Maddy, as me without Ron."

Maddy shook her head and gave him a sad smile. "Eet eez no use 'Arry. I like you, I do…" She shook her head again. "I will alwayz be your friend 'Arry, eet eez just zat… Can we just stay zat… friendz?"

"If I hurt you, I'm sorry—"

She stopped him by placing a finger to his lips. "No, I am ze one who must apologize. 'Arry, do not be offended. You are very charming but what I feel… eet eez not for you."

It took Harry almost a minute to digest what she was trying to say before he realized she was dumping him and the reason was… "You're in love with Ron and not me?"

Maddy couldn't look at him straight, but she nodded.

Strangely, Harry felt no sting at her rejection, only enormous relief. And for the first time in months, he began to laugh.

"Are you alright?" she asked doubtfully.

Harry reached over the table and kissed her full on the lips for two seconds. "I'm fine," he finally said, still grinning. "I've never been better. You're right. We're just not going to work out. You don't know how relieved I am now that I know how you feel."

Maddy grinned back at him. "I am glad you feel zat way too. Friendz?"

"Friends. But tell me, how? Don't be offended or anything, I'm just curious. How could you possibly fall in love with just Ron? I was with him the whole time!"

Maddy giggled. "I do not know. Eet eez just when I am with you zhese last months, eet feels different. Ze zhings I like about Ronald are not in you. No offense 'Arry, but Ronald was… well, 'e was funnier."

Of course, the Weasley charm. It all boiled down to that. Maddy definitely liked Ron for his personality. She always seemed to enjoy his company more. He could maker her laugh for hours. Harry, on the other hand, was too somber. She didn't exactly complain but he could sense he bored her to death sometimes when they had their long talks during stakeouts without doing anything.

"But Ronald eez with 'er now," remarked Maddy seriously. "I am 'appy for 'im, and 'er."

Harry sighed in agreement.

"No more of zhis," Maddy said resolutely.

"Yeah," Harry nodded. "Oy, the offer for dinner still stands. Let's go have some fun at least."

Maddy smiled. "Alright. What do we do?"

Harry shrugged. He didn't want to think of the prospect of going home to England when Ron still hated him. "Look, I'm thinking maybe we could use some more time away. You do have leave right?"

"Yes, what do you 'ave in mind?"

"I don't know, I'm thinking of taking that one month leave Chief gave us. Pick a country you want. It could be Australia or Africa for all I care. We'll go there, my expense. Sky's the limit," he urged then remembered something. Now that he was in de Lancre's body, he wasn't exactly sure he can access his own vault which was still under Ron's name. "Or at least limited to what my two months' full Auror salary can afford."

Maddy's eyebrows shot up. "Why are you worried with money? You are ze richest wizard in Britain!"

"Well, technically, not anymore. Ron is. Why? Is Lancry that rich?"

Maddy gave him a puzzled expression then rolled her eyes at him. "You do not read enough."

Maddy pulled out a copy of the Italian wizarding newspaper and Witch Weekly. The magazine caught his eye first. It had his photo on the front cover—or at least Orion de Lancre's body, with an old picture of himself during his school days on the inset.

"What the—!" he gasped as he saw the headline: "HE'S BACK AND HE'S HOT! THE-BOY-WHO-LIVED LIVES AGAIN!"

"How did they find out?" asked Harry.

Maddy laid out the Italian paper and discreetly tapped her wand to translate the words to English. An article in front was about the British Wizengamot declaring him "alive" again (though not without some confusion and a call for alternation of wizarding laws about "special cases" regarding the dead). It explained that he could now legally use the name "Harry Potter" and all his properties and possessions, including his inherited fortune from Sirius were reinstated under his name.

"Chief Atalanta 'ad to explain to ze Ministry everything, or else zey will convict you of multiple murders and azzempted murders, among ozzer crimes," said Maddy. "Ze Wizengamot decision only came out yesterday."

Harry was speechless for a moment. But then he realized this was all for the best. He had hated the idea of spending the rest of his life as Orion Pierre de Lancre. Now, he didn't have to, at least not in name anyway.

"This is wonderful then," he said. "But going back to my offer. This time, I really mean it when I say sky's the limit. Where do you want to go?"

Maddy smiled wistfully. "I 'ave always wanted to tour Italy. I am fine where we are. But not a month, 'Arry. Perhaps a shorter 'oliday—just a week or two—zhen we can go 'ome to England."

"Oh, alright," said Harry. It was better than nothing. Anyway, if Maddy wanted to go home early, he could always travel alone and use up the rest of his one month leave. It would be good for him perhaps to be away.

His reverie was interrupted with a screech. They both looked up to see a familiar snowy owl approach their table.

"Hedwig?" He wondered why she had come. Mrs. Weasley and Ginny usually paid for international post owls when delivering messages. Hedwig was a mainstay at Potter Manor.

People were starting to stare as the owl landed gently on their table and raised her leg up to reveal the parchment tied there. Harry shrugged at the curious onlookers. "Trained owl," he said as an excuse and the muggles appeared to take that as a good enough explanation.

He untied the parchment then offered the rest of his pastry to his extremely tired pet. He expected to see Ginny's or Mrs. Weasley's neat handwriting, but instead he saw a familiar untidy scrawl. He hurriedly opened it and read the short note:

_Come home when you can, Harry. I forgive you._

_Ron_

Harry gave a grand sigh of relief. He felt as if a million worries were lifted off his chest. He cheerfully smoothed Hedwig's feathers and showed Maddy the note.

Maddy had just glanced at the note when there was another screech and another owl—this time a large brown tawny came down at their table. Harry heard a couple in the next table comment something about "odd owl trainers" in their direction.

The letter was addressed to Maddy and she eagerly tore at it.

"Eet eez from George," she said with curious surprise.

"What does he want?" asked Harry with equal curiosity.

Maddy began reading the letter. "'E says 'ello, and 'e wants to ask me to—"

Maddy abruptly stopped and quickly folded the letter nervously.

"What?" asked Harry. "He wants to ask you to what?"

Maddy shook her head. "Nothing, 'Arry, eet eez not important."

But Harry could still sense her apprehension. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Eet eez nothing… George only wanted to ask me out."

"Ask you out using international owl service? Sounds more important to me than that," Harry teased.

Maddy shook her head again and clutched the letter. But Harry's interest was set. "Come on, Maddy, tell me. And don't tell me it's nothing. I can tell you're hiding something."

Maddy sighed. "Eet eez just a party."

"What party?"

Maddy avoided his eyes and she almost whispered: "A wedding."

"Wedding? Why? Who's getting married?"

Maddy didn't reply, but Harry didn't need one. Her silence was answer enough.

* * *

Hermione savored the warmth of Ron's arms and looked up at his sleeping form. He looked positively innocent this morning, much like the boy she met on the train so many years ago. Gone were the worry lines on his face that she had been accustomed to seeing when Harry was with him and he appeared so much younger.

Hermione sighed blissfully as she recalled last night. Ron, in an amazing display she could hardly believe, went on one knee in the Burrow's living room and proposed marriage in front of his entire family. She didn't think he had it in him, especially since they haven't been together long. But it seems that the length they had been together hardly mattered. Now that Harry had a new body, they were free to open up to each how they really felt. He had been in love with her as long as she had been with him. There was no reason to delay a marriage anymore. It had been delayed long enough. Mrs. Weasley was ecstatic and had immediately set her mind on preparing for the wedding day next month. Hermione couldn't help but be infected with her good cheer. When they came home to the Manor, Ron had pulled her in a fit of passion that left her no time to say anything else, including the secret she had been so eager to tell him. But no matter. Such news would probably better off told in the morning while he had coffee.

The only thing that dampened her spirits was Harry. He still hadn't come home or written. She knew he wrote to Ginny and Mrs. Weasley, but they never relayed anything to her or Ron. Ron dismissed any of her worries on Harry and often told her Harry wanted a bit of time alone with his new body. But Hermione knew better.

A month ago, just a week after Ron got out of the hospital, she had gone up to Ginny's room to look for old reference books she left there, she found a letter addressed to her. It was from Harry and it told everything she needed to know. When she confronted Ginny about it, Ginny admitted that Maddy had handed it to her to give to Hermione. But after Harry got a new body, Ginny decided to keep it and let Harry decide what to do with it when he comes home. Hermione didn't tell Ron. But she realized why he tried to break up with her that day with the lame pretext of being with Maddy. That act made her admire and love Ron even more. As for Harry, she couldn't even think of being angry with him, even after what he did. She only hoped he could get over it and be happy wherever he was now.

Hermione dismissed her thoughts on Harry. This was no time to dwell on them. She kissed Ron's nose and slowly wriggled herself out of his arms. When stood up she immediately felt woozy and headed straight to the bathroom, positively ill. Just as she was finishing up, she heard a pop and Mickey appeared next to her with a glass of warm water and a towel.

"Drink," the elf said to her. Hermione accepted the towel and rinsed her mouth with the water. The elf continued to look at her with utmost concern and muttered that she should get more rest.

Hermione was baffled. Mickey had never served her this way, not unless Harry or Ron specifically told her to. Even though she was freed, Mickey never learned to decide to serve others on her own. She still had the "slave mentality" and continued to refer to Harry as her Master and obey only what he or Ron said. She seemed to think that since Harry and Ron pay her, they were the only ones she should serve. Most of the time, she stayed away from Hermione. The elf never liked her. But now, here she was eager to please and even anticipated Hermione's needs as if she was Harry. Was this a positive sign that Mickey was learning to get on her own?

"Mickey prepare good healthy breakfast," the elf beamed. "Good healthy breakfast for good healthy Mistress."

Hermione's mouth fell open. "W-what did you call me?"

Mickey shrank back like she used to when faced with Hermione and shook her head. "Mickey does not mean Master Harry's friend, no. Mickey means young Mistress. See, Mickey knows. Mickey knows the Potters."

Hermione struggled to figure out what the excited elf was saying. What could she mean by that?

Suddenly, Hermione understood and the shock made her knees buckle. Mickey was quick to assist her to a sitting position at the edge of the bathtub.

"Master Harry's friend must be careful. Yes, Mickey will take care of her too. Mickey is happy to serve for Mistress' sake."

She continued to fuzz around Hermione, but the young witch no longer took notice. She buried her face in her hands and sobbed.

* * *

**A/N: Poor dear Harry, I abuse him too much. But don't worry, as I said before he will have someone to comfort him by the end of this story. Any guesses who she will be?**

**Sorry if there's a bit of delay in my update. I had to work on my thesis framework before my adviser kills me. I'm in the process of editing the last chapter and the epilogue and hopefully I will be able to post by next week. Thank you again for all your reviews. I'm glad you like this story as much as I did.**


	41. Bond of Blood and Magic

**Chapter Forty One**

**Bond of Blood and Magic**

"Queen to C3."

Harry stared at the board as his white queen moved to take Ron's knight. He smiled inwardly and was glad Ron couldn't feel him gloat. It was one of the things he missed about having a body of his own. He watched Ron's expression. Did he detect fear in there? But he saw something: a gleam in his eye. He knew that gleam, he had it whenever Ron was about to make a kill.

"Pawn to C3," Ron said calmly.

Harry watched as the tiny black piece hacked at his queen. Ron picked up the pieces and laid them aside. He looked at him with an eyebrow raised and a grin. Harry could almost hear Ron's voice inside him: "Didn't you ever learn anything by living inside me?"

Harry had three pieces left, two pawns and his king. There was nothing much left to move about for strategy when you have that many pieces left. He urged a pawn forward, knowing it could be taken by Ron's bishop so he could position for a checkmate.

But Ron didn't take it. He moved his bishop back. Even Harry knew that was just a stall to prolong the game. Ron sometimes did that when he wanted to bait someone for sheer fun… or if he wanted to talk about something. Harry could sense, however, that it was the latter.

Harry had finally come home today after being gone for nearly three months. He had originally intended to come home immediately after receiving Ron's owl, but Maddy had tactfully persuaded him that maybe another week away would be good for both of them so they wouldn't brood too much about Ron's and Hermione's upcoming wedding. They spent every waking minute seeing sights, and exploring muggle and wizarding historical areas in Italy. When it got too boring, Maddy suggested a bit of harmless adventure. Like two mysterious superheroes out of the Dudley's muggle comics, they helped solved crimes by listening in to muggle police dispatches and running after petty criminals themselves. It was good fun and they had a laugh whenever the muggle police were baffled with the perpetrators literally left at their front door.

They left Italy and headed east past the Mediterranean towards Africa. They spent a good deal of time in Egypt then traveled north to Iraq and Turkey. They explored old tombs and temples and dared each other to enter infamously cursed places. They got into a few minor troubles, but they always managed to get out somehow, at times within an edge of their lives. And after one adventure, they were ready to tempt fate for another go. It was the kind of reckless behavior Harry had longed to do now that he didn't have to feel responsible for the rest of the wizarding world. And he had the time of his life doing just that with a girl who seemed to feel as immortal as he did. Before they knew it, their one month leave had ended and with it loomed the day of Ron's and Hermione's wedding. Three days before the intended date, Harry and Maddy went back to England both more lighthearted and ready to face reality again.

Harry came into the Manor rather late. He had hoped to steal into his bedroom without Ron and Hermione knowing and just announce his presence in the morning. He figured Ron had moved into Hermione's room by now. But Ron had caught him halfway up the stairs.

"You're back," he said rather casually. Then as if sensing Harry's agitation, Ron quickly added. "Hermione's not here. She said she'll be working late—getting her new office ready at Hogwarts. She accepted a part-time teaching job and she starts this term. Want a game of chess?"

And that was all. They played without talking like so many times that they did as if there was nothing bothering them. But Harry could sense it. Ron wanted to tell him something. He knew what it was, and now that the game was almost over, Ron was about to fess up.

"Guess you probably know that well… I suppose you've suspected that… and Mum probably told you… about Hermione and me…"

Harry looked at Ron. "Look, there's no need to feel uncomfortable about it. I know. Congratulations. I'm happy for both of you. I came home just for it," he said and he meant it.

"Thanks mate. I wanted to tell you sooner. I didn't tell you by owl because I wanted to tell you in person. I want you to be my best man."

"Sure, of course I'd be Ron. I'd be happy too."

"Good, then," Ron replied. He used a finger to loosen the collar of his jumper. Harry was puzzled. Ron didn't seem any less nervous now that he had the news of his marriage to Hermione out. Something else was bothering him.

Ron stared back at the chessboard. He continued loosening his collar in the same nervous manner. Finally he spoke: "Knight to H4, checkmate!"

Now Harry was nervous. What could make Ron so agitated that he would abruptly end the game? He usually talked over something important while stalling. Clearly whatever this was, it was too serious to be talked about without the distraction of chess.

"Look, there's something else," Ron finally said.

"What is it?" Harry asked, bracing himself for the worse, though he couldn't imagine anything more uncomfortable that Ron telling him he and Hermione were getting married.

Ron swallowed hard and stared at the board. Harry had to crouch forward to hear him.

"Hermione's going to have a baby."

"Oh," Harry said and he smiled. "Well, congratulations again, I suppose. Already? It's just been what? Two months?"

Ron shook his head but his gaze was still on the board and Harry's heart began to race. "It's three months, Harry. It's been three months, not two."

_Three months not two, _for some reason that last line stuck in his head. _What difference did it make if it was three months, and not two? __Three months? Three months?_

"It's a bit unexpected," Ron said a bit uncomfortably. "I mean, I'm twenty years old, Harry. What do I know about being a father? My dad was great but I'm not sure I can ever be like that. This is like a big thing, a big responsibility and I'm not sure I'll be able to do it without making a big mess."

Harry was still unsure where his best friend was getting at, but he decided not to interrupt. _Three months. Three months._ The thought kept ringing on his head.

Ron was still staring at the board. "This baby's going to be another person and she's going depend on me and I'm…" He finally looked up to meet Harry's gaze. "I'm scared okay. I just don't know what to do." He paused again for what Harry felt like an eternity. "But… I suppose it's not too scary if I'm not alone in it."

"What do you mean?" Harry asked, only half-listening. _Three months, three months. __But Ron had been in the hospital for almost a month. It doesn't add up. They couldn't have—_ _THREE MONTHS! OH HELL! _Suddenly, he realized what that could have possibly meant! At the same time Ron looked him straight in the eye and dropped the bomb.

"It was you, Harry."

Those four little words hammered into his chest. And though he already knew what Ron meant, it was still very confusing.

"I-I don't understand…"

Ron breathed as if he was trying to calm himself. "Mickey found out for us. Remember how she can recognize you through your magical signature. Even after you freed her, Mickey can still do that. She knew just by looking at Hermione, it was a Potter. The baby has your magical signature. Yours and Hermione's, but not mine. Mickey can even tell the baby's a girl."

Harry's mouth went dry. A baby? A girl? His? A reminder of his betrayal to the two best friends in the world! Harry suddenly felt lower than a slug. Here he was alive, in a new body and the man responsible for keeping him that way—the best friend who had given him so much already after his own betrayal—was telling him he had just robbed him yet again.

"Ron, I'm so sorry," said Harry miserably. "I never wanted it this way. I'll do whatever you want me to. If you don't want the baby, I-I'll take her when she's born. I'll go away. You and Hermione will never have to see me again."

Harry was known to have great reflexes. He could sense an assault even a split-second before it hit. But for the second time in his life, all his reflexes seemed to have shut down. He was caught totally unprepared when his best friend pushed the chess board aside and landed a hard punch at the right side of his face. The impact was so hard it sent Harry slamming against the wall.

"DAMN YOU TO HELL, POTTER!"

Harry didn't pick himself up or assess with his hand the damage Ron just inflicted. He just hung his head. "Do whatever you want Ron, I deserve it. Kill me, if you want to. But please… don't do anything to the baby. Please..."

Ron answered with solid upper cut that left Harry even more shaken and bleary eyed.

"That was for being a bloody thick idiot!"

Harry shook his head to clear it. He could feel his nose gushing out blood. Ron was glaring at him with his arms folded.

"Do. You. Think. I. Am. That. Stupid?" Ron clenched, emphasizing each word. "How can you think of me that way? It's MY baby too! Don't you ever forget it! It was my body and the hell I care if the baby has YOUR bloody magical signature and not mine. SHE'S MINE JUST AS MUCH SHE IS YOURS! SO DON'T INSULT ME!"

Harry blinked and was about to apologize again for… whatever. He didn't exactly understood what he should apologize for. He didn't quite understand where Ron was getting at.

"And you are completely daft if you think I'd want you dead! What the hell did I put up sharing almost two years of my life for? I have half a mind not to tell you what I'm supposed to," said Ron. He gave a great sigh then continued in a normal tone: "I admit, I was mad you at first. But after all that and a month to cool off… damn it Potter, I still can't hate you." He breathed deeply to calm himself then continued. "Look, it's your baby and it's mine. There's no denying it. Hermione and I talked about it and we decided well… we want you in. I want you in. I want you to be the dad with me."

Harry was speechless. Even after all that Ron had done for him, his best friend could never cease to touch him.

"I know I said I can't share Hermione with you. I never will. Let's get that clear. But it doesn't mean I can't share my child with you. Just this one," Ron added harshly.

"O-of course… I-I don't know what to say."

"Don't say anything," Ron said sarcastically. "You might say something stupid and I'll be forced to hit you again."

Harry just nodded seriously. Ron finally broke into a smile and reached a hand for him to pull him from the floor.

"Go on mate. Go clean up before Hermione gets here. She'll have it on me if she found out I just knocked the lights out of you."

"Thanks," Harry finally muttered. He used his wand to siphon out the blood.

"All part of the territory of having a best friend who shares almost everything with you."

Harry managed a smile. "So I'm going to be a dad too?"

"Yeah, we both are. Glad we didn't get rid of that nursery after all. Well—I mean if you don't mind that she stays here a few times."

"What are you talking about? Of course she's staying here, you live here."

Ron shook his head. "Not for long. Hermione and I are moving out mate. I promised you I'd give you back everything, it includes this house. We're scouting to buy some property somewhere so we can nest on our own."

Harry understood and respected Ron's want for privacy. He didn't fancy sharing a house with him and Hermione anyway.

"I'm sorry about Hermione," he said.

Ron shook his head. "I don't want to hear anything about it. She doesn't know how you feel anyway. Let's leave it like that."

"Thanks," replied Harry. He knew Ron would never speak about this again. It was just his way. They would go on as before, as if it had never happened. Harry was glad for that.

There was a popping noise near the door and Hermione appeared. Harry felt a little flop in his heart, but was surprised that it wasn't as strong as it used to be. Her eyes lit when she saw him.

"Harry, you're home," she said in surprise. She stopped in front of him before giving him an awkward hug. Harry could feel Ron eyeing them suspiciously and he quickly let go of Hermione in the same moment that she did. She quickly turned back to Ron and took one of his hands in hers as if to reassure him.

"We were worried about you," she said, though her hand was still giving Ron an affectionate squeeze. It put a grin back to Ron's face.

"No, _you_ were worried about him," Ron said. "As I told you, I have complete confidence in Harry coming home alright."

Hermione scowled at him, but Harry could see how much she adored Ron.

"Did you tell him?" she asked Ron a little nervously.

"Yeah, all of it. My duty is done as we bargained."

Hermione seemed to relax a bit but looked shyly at Harry. "So you know?"

"I know," Harry blushed.

Hermione didn't look at him. "We didn't tell anyone yet. We wanted you to know first. So I told Ron he should tell you as soon as you get back."

"And that was a horrible thing you made me do!"

"Oh stop complaining. It's only Harry."

"You try doing it, then. Telling your best friend he's going to be a dad with you. You have no idea."

"Well what about me?" Hermione retorted. "How am I suppose to tell my parents their future grandchild has two fathers?"

That shut Ron up. But Harry was thinking of something else.

"But what about your family Ron? Who's telling them?"

Ron and Hermione suddenly lit up with mischievous grins.

Harry groaned.

* * *

Harry apparated into the Burrow's living room. He was quite surprised to find it empty. He had expected it to be full of Weasleys at this hour. He waited for Hermione and Ron to appear. He had a full five minute wait before he realized they had no intention of joining him immediately. A look at the Weasley family clock told him they were still at "home" and their hands did not move at all. He tried not to think of exactly what they were still doing back at the Manor to delay their coming. Instead, he proceeded to look for company.

He heard something clanging in the kitchen and went there. He found Mrs. Weasley busy at the stove cooking up a feast. She had her back to him but quickly turned when she sensed his presence. A look of surprise crossed her face when she saw him and she backed away fearfully. Harry realized Mrs. Weasley was looking at him as if he was a stranger. But before he could reassure her, Fleur appeared from the kitchen back door and gave him the same look of shock. She stepped in front of Mrs. Weasley and uttered something harshly to him in French.

"Hello, Harry! You're back!" another voice broke through and Harry saw Bill enter from the same kitchen door with Fred. They noticed the two witches' expressions.

"It's okay Mum, it's just Harry," assured Fred.

"Oh! Of course, dear," replied Mrs. Weasley. "I am sorry. It is just that you gave me a fright. I'm not used to seeing you… well… you know what I mean." She gave Harry a welcome hug. "It's just that I've never seen you before like this. I'm glad you're finally home."

Harry hugged her back. But from the corner of his eye, he could see Fleur still giving him an unnerved look. Bill noticed his wife's expression and laughed.

"What's the matter dear? Bad ex-boyfriend memories haunting you?"

If looks could kill, Bill would be a corpse right now. Fleur glared at him so fiercely that for a moment Harry thought Fleur was finally going to show her husband the less than charming side of her "Veela" abilities. But Bill just laughed even harder and squeezed her shoulders.

"Don't worry, it's just our Harry in there."

"Of course," Fleur said haughtily. "I am only surprized." And she proceeded to give Harry a kiss on each of his cheeks.

"Why didn't you tell us you were coming home?" admonished Mrs. Weasley. "Oh no matter, you are just in time for Ron's and…" she trailed off and was suddenly uncomfortable.

"Their wedding tomorrow, I know, Mrs. Weasley," said Harry. "I came home just for that. Ron has to have a best man. I came from the Manor. Hermione and Ron are coming in a bit later."

Mrs. Weasley brightened. "Why don't you three help Ginny, Angelina and George set the plates outside? We're having dinner in the yard."

Harry nodded, took a few plates with Bill and Fleur and carried them out in the yard where Ginny, George, and Angelina—who was currently Fred's girlfriend—were arranging tables and chairs with their wands.

"Look who's come home?" Bill announced. Everyone else stopped to greet Harry back and questioned him on his long holiday. Harry had filled them in on what he had been up to for the last three months while they set the table. By the time they were done Mrs. Weasley arrived with Mr. Weasley levitating in the food.

"Where are Ron and 'Ermione?" asked Fleur impatiently. "Zhis dinner party eez suppozed to be for zhem, before zheir wedding tomorrow."

"They're coming," Harry assured.

"Oh I 'ope zey 'urry," she replied. "I want everyone to be 'ere."

"For what?" asked Ginny.

Harry echoed Ginny's question in his head. He noticed Fleur seemed to be excited about something.

"Later," said Bill curtly. "When everyone's here."

There were two popping sounds and Ron and Hermione appeared, both looking flushed but happy.

"Finally the love birds decided to show!" Fred exclaimed. "Let's eat, we're starving." Angelina nudged him to mind his manners.

"But you were going to say something dear?" Mrs. Weasley asked Fleur.

"Oh, later, Mum. I want everyone fed first," said Bill. "Go on, sit." Fleur looked liked she was going to protest at her husband, but Bill had whispered something to shush her.

Harry moved over on the bench so Ron could sit next to him, while Hermione sat across next to Ginny. Everyone immediately got down. Mrs. Weasley allowed them to have a few spoonfuls, but her impatience finally got the better of her and prompted Fleur to speak up.

Fleur was blushing as she glanced around at the table, looking as if she was bursting with anticipation, she held on to Bill's hand. "Shall I?"

Bill nodded and Fleur looked thrilled.

"We want you all to know. Bill and I… we are 'aving a baby."

There was a sudden silence the whole length of the table before it erupted with cheers. Mrs. Weasley was the most ecstatic and had flown to Fleur's side and hugged her. "I knew it! I knew it! A baby in the family! A grandchild!"

Everyone was eagerly hugging Fleur or shaking Bill's hand and asking about details of their coming baby. Everyone, that is except, Ron, Harry and Hermione. They looked at each other furtively, all wondering if Mrs. Weasley would take their own news the same way.

They had discussed the subject of telling the rest of the family about their own baby and decided Harry should reveal it to each member of the family after Ron's and Hermione's wedding, beginning with Ron's siblings and last to his mother. Ron had warned that his mother was rather conservative in her ideas of marriage. "She just might condemn us," Ron had explained. "A few years back, Mum found out Charlie had this girlfriend living with him and Mum gave him the cold shoulder for months. Best to let her know after we're safely married and we got the rest of the family on our side. It would soften the blow at least. I don't want her again thinking Hermione's a scarlet woman."

Harry sighed. He would cross that bridge when he got there. For now, he, Ron and Hermione would be keeping their secret.

"You know, this is just perfect," Fred said when his mother had calmed down enough to sit. "We get another test subject for this new invention we made."

"Not that again!" Bill exclaimed.

"What? What eez zhat?" asked Fleur.

"It's our new pregnancy test wand," George explained excitedly, holding out what looked liked an ordinary wand. "It works just like a wand, only it can only do one spell. It tells you if you're pregnant or not. It's quite useful for hospitals. St. Mungo's actually willing to invest in it. And it's not a joke this time."

"Not a joke! One of my colleagues at the bank who tried that spent two weeks with two pink lines constantly hanging over her head!" Bill complained. "She still refuses to speak to me. That's the last time I'll get anyone else to try your products—and I don't care whether or not they're tested."

"Well it was in its initial stages, this one has effects that wear out much sooner," defended George. "You see Fleur, we got the idea from one of those muggle pregnancy test kits. In the muggle version, you use this strip and lines appear on it when you use it on a urine sample. One pink line means you're not pregnant, two means you are. Well this time, the lines appear just above your head. But don't worry, this time Fred and I got down to making the lines appear for only half an hour."

"Zo you are testing eet on me?" Fleur asked, doubtfully.

"Don't worry, it has no side effects, and it's not even messy. Just think, you can use it in case you and Bill get another baby."

Fleur scowled at her brother-in-law.

"Oh, come on Fleur… Alright, if you're not convinced, I'll try it first on Fred here." He pointed the wand at his twin and muttered a spell. The wand emitted a pink spark and hit Fred. Immediately a single line appeared about half a foot above his head. "See, one pink line. Fred's not pregnant."

"Oy, unfair! Two can play that," Fred said. He got out another wand and pointed it at George. In a moment, George was sporting a similar single pink line.

"Still need convincing, Fleur?" George said. "Let's try Hermione then."

"NO!" Harry and Ron both shouted.

But it was too late. George already hit her with the spell. Everybody stared on top of her head, and Harry watched as their expressions changed from mirth to utter confusion. There, for all the world to see were two clear pink lines.

"Uhhm… must be not working right," said Fred. "Fleur... will you?"

Fleur just nodded. Fred uttered the spell and she sported the same two pink lines.

"Er… must be a mistake then," said George. "Mum, do you mind?" He pointed the wand at his mother and muttered the charm. A single pink line appeared on her head. "You're not currently pregnant Mum, are you?"

"No dear, I think I'm passed that age," said Mrs. Weasley. "But… er… Hermione dear… are you?"

Hermione froze, unwilling to meet anyone's eyes. Mrs. Weasley's gaze directed towards Ron and it had disappointment written all over it.

Ron cringed and kicked Harry underneath the table. Harry winced.

"Ronald Bilius Weasley, I thought I raised you better than that!" Mrs. Weasley began. Ron kicked Harry harder and this time he gave an involuntary yelp.

"Ronald what are you doing? I am talking to you," Mrs. Weasley warned. But Ron just elbowed Harry further. His message was clear: "Do something!"

"Ronald!"

Harry stood up after one final hard kick from Ron. "Don'tblameRon," he garbled stupidly.

Mrs. Weasley didn't appear to understand him. Ron gave him a vicious push.

"Ronald stop hitting Harry! What has come over you?"

"Bugger! Just tell her Harry!" Ron shouted. He was already turning purple with desperation.

"Tell me what? Ronald, I think this concerns you, not Harry, so stop using him as a distraction!" Mrs. Weasley admonished. "And watch your language!"

Everyone else at the table was attempting to slink away discreetly but Ron pounded his fists on the table. "Nobody's leaving!" he declared. "You might as well all know, saves us the trouble." He turned to Harry. "Just go tell everyone, they're bound to find out anyway!"

Harry couldn't look at anyone straight. He stared at the table as if his life depended on it. "Hermione's going to have a baby," he began. "Ron's and—and mine…"

Harry suddenly knew what it felt like to be publicly executed by firing squad. He could feel everyone's eyes were boring into him like bullets.

"Sorry…" It was Fred who broke the stillness in a confused tone. "I thought I just heard you say, it's Ron's and yours, Harry?"

Harry wished someone would just Avada Kedavra him right now.

"Go on explain, Harry," Ron urged.

Harry wanted to strangle his best friend. He was really making him suffer for this. He breathed deeply and finally looked up. "Please don't make me repeat that again," he begged, but nobody responded. They just stared at him with looks of disbelief and puzzlement.

Finally, Ron stood up next to him and relieved him of his misery. "Alright, I'll say it plain: Harry, Hermione and I are having a baby. Don't ask how it happened. Just believe me when I tell you it's mostly Harry's fault."

Harry wanted to crawl somewhere and die. Hearing it said like that felt even worse.

"But Hermione and I forgave him and we both decided to share being the Dad. There. You can denounce us now, but don't even think of blaming Hermione. It was never her fault." He reached a hand to clutch at Hermione's to reassure her.

Mrs. Weasley got out from the table and Harry held his breath as to what she would do. She came to Hermione and suddenly hugged her like a daughter.

"There, there, dear. It's alright. No one blames you. It's my grandchild after all and I'm happy to have another even with the rather different… circumstances." She released her and came next to Ron and hugged him the same way and whispered something to him that brightened up his face. When she came to Harry, he was too ashamed and too grateful to even hug back.

"I understand, Harry dear. You did love her so. A mother always knows," she whispered to him through her choked voice.

Mr. Weasley suddenly interrupted with a toast that lightened the mood. Everyone else gladly joined in and celebrated their new baby as gaily as they did Bill's and Fleur's. Fred and George even started joking about it and Harry expected that he and Ron would never hear the end of it.

When dinner was over and everyone was settled with one last cup of hot cocoa in the Burrow living room, Harry got ready to apparate home alone (Ron and Hermione opted to stay overnight at the Burrow). But he stopped when he heard someone call his name.

"Can I talk to you alone?" It was Hermione, and Harry recognized her speaking to him in parseltongue.

Harry glanced around and saw Ron busy talking with his father. He nodded and followed her in one corner of the living room by the fire where they would not be overheard, but still within sight of company. Harry though, didn't need to worry about being overheard. For Hermione's next words were in parseltongue.

"How are you?" she asked tentatively.

"What do you mean?" he asked in the same language.

"Harry… I think you know what I mean."

Harry felt himself turn red. "I'm sorry."

"I don't want to hear it," she said and Harry was struck by the similarity of her words with Ron's. "But I hope nothing changes with us, Harry."

Harry looked at her straight. "No, nothing changes between us," he said wholeheartedly.

"Thank you, Harry."

And she was gone to rejoin Ron. Harry watched as Ron placed an affectionate arm around her waist. He could imagine that waist would soon enlarge with the tiny thing she carried. He felt a rush of warmth at that thought that though he could never have her, there was a part of him inside her. It was another human that was part him and part her. And the idea that the baby was also a part of Ron somehow made it perfect.

"How are you?" another voice called to him, this time, it was in English.

Harry turned to find Ginny with a look of concern.

Harry glanced back at Ron and Hermione, their arms linked and their faces flushed with all the happiness they could ever hope for. His two best friends caught his eye and gave him identical smiles.

Harry smiled back. "I'm good. I'm really good."

**

* * *

****A/N: A lot of people guessed it right that Hermione's pregnant, I think that's rather obvious. Still, I'm giving credit to everyone who did mention it: mushroom, ****LoVinSoMe1SpeCiaL****Will There Ever Be a Rainbow****mrmistoffelees****, and tonks. As for "Harry's comfort," a lot of reviewers mentioned Ginny. Well, Ginny can be a comfort for him too, but has it ever occurred to anyone that the person that can comfort Harry most after all his troubles is not a romantic partner, but his daughter? As I said before, I wrote this not as a romance fic but as a friendship fic between Ron, Harry and Hermione. I thought that what could bond them even more is a child they share together.  
**

**Just to clarify how Harry's fatherhood came to be: Remember the magical signatures? Wizarding families have a unique magical signature (think DNA) and it gets passed on to their children. Even though it was Ron's body that Harry used, the baby contained Harry's magical signature because Hermione conceived with Harry not with Ron. Ron is still the biological father, while Harry is what I'd like to call a "magical father." I know I've taken liberties with JKR's world concept. It was just a thought experiment for me when I was thinking how magic works but it did turn out well for this story. Unfortunately, my concept of magical signatures and elves was debunked after Book 6 came out. Well it was good til it lasted.**

**There's just the epilogue to go before I close this story. I can't be grateful enough to all those who stuck to this story until the end. It was great reading your reviews. **


	42. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

Harry changed into fresh robes and checked himself in the mirror. He found a few of his hairs still singed and his face and hands still covered in bandages.

"What did you do, dear? Had a fight with a dragon?" the mirror asked.

Harry chuckled. "Yeah, something like that, only worse."

Harry continued to stare at himself. He still wasn't used to having Orion de Lancre's face. It gave him the shivers sometimes to think he occupied the body of the man who had wanted to destroy him and become the next dark lord. But he supposed his life would always be tied to something dark and evil. That was his destiny and he ought to get used to it by now.

He muttered a spell to reinforce the charm that kept his eyes green, then messed up his flat hair into his messy mop. It was longer now, the same length as Sirius' and he liked to keep it that way.

He heard a cry from the next room and he felt his heart warm. He left his room and entered the nursery where he found Mrs. Weasley cradling his newborn girl in her arms. She was singing her a lullabye and the baby seemed to calm down.

"Harry dear, are you sure you'll get along without me?" Mrs. Weasley asked.

"Well I hope so," said Harry. "Ron knows more about this, but I'll figure it out somehow. But can you wait until she falls asleep?"

"Why don't you hold her yourself and let her sleep in your arms?" Mrs. Weasley held out the little bundle to him.

Harry was at a lost. He was excited of course to hold his child, but didn't know how to go about it. What if he dropped her? "I—er… don't really know how."

"Well then, no better time than now to learn. Just hold your arms like this. Yes, now be careful, watch her head." Mrs. Weasley carefully placed the baby into Harry's arms. Harry's entire body stiffened with the tiny body in his arms.

"Relax Harry. You're not going to let her fall. It's a little uncomfortable at first, but you'll get used to it."

Harry tried to loosen up a bit and stared down into the baby's tiny face. She had the beginnings of the trademark Weasley hair but he would bet it would turn just as bushy as Hermione's when she grew up. When she opened her eyes Harry could see them more clearly now than the first time he saw her when she was born. They were deep blue, just like Ron's. His felt his heart twinge a little knowing that nothing of his original physical traits would ever pass on to her, but he consoled himself with the fact that somehow, somewhere inside her was his own magical signature that would continue the Potter line, if not his name.

Mrs. Weasley beamed and Harry could see that she had tears in her eyes. "She looks so much like Ginny when she was born," she remarked.

Harry looked back at his baby and smiled at the thought. He and Ginny had only started dating for a few weeks. It had taken quite some time before the ache of losing Hermione had fully gone from him. Even with his resolve to forget her, the sting of lost had continued on months until it finally ebbed away and he began to regard Hermione again as the same best friend he had when they were still at school.

Ron and Hermione had moved out after their wedding to their new home, which happened to be on the lot next to Potter Manor. Hermione had started part-time teaching at Hogwarts (the other half of her time was spent doing research on magical maladies and on elves with Diana Mackenzie). At the time of her marriage, she and Ron had had to rely on Ron's meager savings and his more or less handsome full-Auror bonus salary after the Black Castle incident. The money they had was only enough to buy the cheapest property they could find since Ron refused Harry's help. Conveniently, the lowest-priced real estate at hand was in Godric's Hollow (The price had devaluated since it became a ghost town after Harry's parents were killed). Tonks had offered the Black elves to build their small house and Ron had designed it to look like the Burrow—only more stable-looking.

Throughout Harry's lonely months at home, Ginny and Maddy had stepped in to keep him company. The two girls seemed to have formed quite an easy friendship and were regular visitors to Potter Manor. Harry always appreciated Ginny as a friend but it took a while before they decided to give it a shot at being something more. Their relationship was moving on slowly but Harry could feel no fear or doubt about it. He was happy with Ginny.

The baby cooed at Harry's arms and he smiled. Lily Granger-Weasley. She was another reason for him to be happy.

Ron's face peered into the room. His robes were half-burnt and his face still bore a few scorch marks. He looked tired but cheerful.

"How's Hermione?" Mrs. Weasley asked.

"Resting like an angel," Ron said sarcastically. "Hard to imagine her as an angel when she was giving us hell just a few hours ago."

Harry and Ron had often joked that Hermione must have learned something of their colorful language from being around them for years. This afternoon, they both found out just how much Hermione did learn from the amount of swear words she hurled at them while clamping each of their arms in a death-like grip. In Ron's and Harry's opinion, Hermione in labor resembled a very vexed veela with the destructive strength of a rampaging hippogriff and the vocal chords of a banshee. She screamed, she swore, she kicked, she clawed and she sent out half a dozen hexes with each burst of pain. And that was even after the healer attending her had made the precaution of taking her wand away. It didn't help that her wandless magic specialty was shooting flames. It explained why Harry and Ron ended up with their robes half in cinders and their own skins covered with bruises and first degree burns.

Throughout the eight-hour ordeal, Ron and Harry were helpless to stop her. Witches in labor weren't allowed to be subjected to spells until after they give birth because it might affect the condition of the baby. Harry at one point had to scream himself that even with all the magical knowledge they had, they still need to get Hermione to deliver using the natural way—with no pain killers or even a cooling charm for comfort. Ron on the other hand, had sworn to him that he would gladly take on Voldemort, Orion Black and Grindewald all at the same time than endure his wife.

But it was all worth it when they heard the first cry from their baby. Hermione had stopped screaming, burst into happy tears and hugged her daughter to her chest. Harry found himself crying too with Ron. The two of them huddled on each side of Hermione and stared at the bundle she had in her arms. There she was a little, breathing thing—the one person that sealed their friendship forever.

"You have to excuse Hermione," said Mrs. Weasley. "Pregnant witches are like that, you can never understand the pain we go through."

"I think Harry and I have an idea. She almost burned us alive!"

Mrs. Weasley shook her head at them as if they were little children. "Can I leave you with the baby? Your father will be home soon and I need to start dinner. Mickey's already made supper. The milk for Lily is in the kitchen. Just warm it but mind you to test—"

"Mum," Ron interrupted. "Harry and I can handle it."

"Are you sure? I can stay for the night of course, help you get settled?"

Ron took Lily from Harry's arms and held her easily. Ron's experience babysitting his cousins when he was younger had paid off quite well. "We'll take care, Mum. We'll survive. We survived her mother, didn't we?"

Mrs. Weasley melted and gave all three of them a kiss before apparating away.

"So, it's just us," said Ron staring at his little daughter who seemed to have other ideas rather than sleeping.

"Yes, just us and Lily. You don't mind staying here at the Manor for tonight?"

"I thought you'd never ask Harry. I'm too tired to even apparate or walk next door. Dumb luck, Hermione picked the time to go in labor here."

"Just as well, at least we have Mickey to help out and ready with dinner."

"Wish I could get an elf at home. I'd hire any of the freed Black elves but they all refuse to work for Hermione. She still keeps trying to offer them too many day-offs and high wages. Hope Mackenzie convinces her to change that attitude."

Diana Mackenzie maintained a rather more realistic opinion about the elves. She knew that some things couldn't be changed 360 degrees overnight. Her work on the elves had considerably raised the creatures' status in the Western wizarding world. There were new laws now being enacted against the abuse of elves and much awareness of their plight had been brought to the attention of the public. Some of the freed elves like Dobby and Balder had even been invited as members of the Auror force. But not all elves had opted for the same opportunities. Many of them were still perfectly happy to serve their masters and mistresses in private homes. Mackenzie had made Harry, Ron and Hermione swear not to reveal to anyone her secret knowledge about the subjugation spell that caused the elves their enslavement. She continues her research on elf magic, with Hermione occasionally helping out. But if Mackenzie did manage to find out a way to reverse the subjugation spell, she wasn't likely to reveal it, especially to her overly-zealous assistant. Mackenzie was only too aware of the consequences of abruptly freeing the elves on a massive scale: it could send the European Wizarding economy into turmoil.

"Go get cleaned up," said Harry to Ron. "I'm sure Mickey has got your bath water ready."

"I will later," replied Ron. "But what I could really use is that fast-healing salve Hermione makes. Too bad, we don't have any more stock of it. I swear, I never want to go through that again. It's worse than going on assault."

"Well, at least I'm not going to," laughed Harry.

Ron scowled at him. "Don't be so smug. You just wait Potter. If you and Ginny ever get married and have kids, you'll be in worse trouble. May I remind you that Ginny's an expert with the Bat Bogey Hex."

Harry's laughter died and it was Ron's turn to gloat.

"You think she'll grow up like any of us?" Ron said when he was satisfied with seeing Harry's worried expression.

"Maybe," said Harry. He tried to imagine what it would be like when his daughter was grown up. He could picture a girl that looked like Ginny with all the bossiness and brilliance of Hermione and the carefree recklessness he and Ron ever possessed.

"But she won't grow up as obsessed with studying as Hermione," said Ron. "We'll make sure of that. We'll teach her to play Quidditch and chess."

"And procrastinate in homework?" Harry added.

"Oy! That's essential. And when she's up in Hogwarts, she'll be the most brilliant witch there is."

"And the prettiest."

"Yeah," agreed Ron wistfully. "She'll be beautiful."

Harry could just imagine her a few years older off to another ball in pretty dress robes. But at the same time, he could imagine scores of young men staring at her. "We'll kill any bloke that tries anything funny with her," he said severely.

Ron had the same harsh expression. "Oh yeah, I'm thinking disembowelment and pulverization."

"Ron?" Hermione called out from the next room. They all hurried to her bedroom with Lily still in Ron's arms.

Hermione was still looking a bit weak and was lying in bed. But she smiled when she saw them.

"Can I hold her again?" she asked.

Ron nodded and placed the baby near her. Hermione couldn't sit up yet, but at least she could play with the baby's little fingers and stroke her lovely head.

Ron came over to the side and kissed his wife on the cheek then began cooing at their newborn. Harry was drawn in and decided to imitate Ron. The baby responded with giggles so Harry and Ron repeated it.

All of a sudden Harry felt himself lift from the ground.

"Oy! What in the world—!" Harry managed to say, at the same time, he realized Ron was also floating in same manner towards the ceiling.

Harry tried to mutter a spell to counteract it, but it wasn't working.

"Hermione!" cried Ron. "Cut it out! Let us down!"

"It's not me!" she said. "But here." She reached for Ron's wand. "Finite Incantatem!"

Nothing happened. Ron and Harry continued to float above the bed. She repeated it twice but still nothing was happening.

Harry was suddenly alarmed. He looked at Ron and he could sense he was also on the alert. Was somebody attacking them? Have the wards around the house been penetrated? If so, where they coming for him and Ron? For Hermione? For Lily? Was it another dark lord bent on vengeance?

He and Ron began bobbing up and down like two bouncing balls on air.

"Who's doing this? Show yourself!" Harry challenged but nobody responded.

There was a sound of a giggle and they all turned their attention on their little baby who seemed to be enjoying watching her fathers floating above her.

Hermione gasped. "Oh my goodness!" She kissed Lily on the head and burst into tears.

Harry and Ron looked at each other then at Hermione as if she had just lost it.

"Hermione? What is going on?" asked Ron.

"It's Lily," she said while kissing her daughter over and over. "She's showing signs of random magic! But this is so wonderful! She's only a few hours old; most children don't show until they're six months! Can you believe it!" She kissed the baby again. "Oh Ron, Harry. I've never seen anything like this. And she actually lifted you both—two grown men—that's never happened before in history! I haven't heard of any baby her age showing such powers!"

Harry and Ron grinned at each other. Harry knew Ron was thinking of the same thing: That Lily could just possibly be a very powerful witch—probably more powerful than the three of them combined. It gave them both a sense of pride. Just then, however, they violently rose higher and crashed their heads painfully on the ceiling. "Alright, this is great," said Ron, rubbing his crown. "But could you let us down, Hermione?"

"I can't," replied his wife. "Random magic by babies is different. It's uncontrollable, I can't counter it."

"Oh wonderful," said Ron. "How do you suppose we could get down from here?"

"Well, if Lily decides to lift the spell," said Hermione.

Ron and Harry groaned just as Lily let their heads bump the ceiling once more.

"Er… Hermione, you think Lily could do other things."

As if in answer to his question, the pillows around Hermione's bed began floating as well. They began flying around in circles faster and faster. One pillow managed to float higher and smacked Harry's face.

"I had to ask," he said. "What do we do?"

"I suppose we could convince her to let you down, draw her attention somehow," said Hermione and she proceeded to do just that by cooing at Lily.

Suddenly gravity came back at full force and Harry and Ron landed hard on the floor along with the pillows.

"Are you alright?"

Ron and Harry emerged, rubbing their bruised body parts.

"Hermione, how long does it take before we can counter her magic?" asked Ron.

Hermione bit her lip. "Depends, usually until she's two years old. Her powers will grow as she ages and learns new things."

Another pillow flew and squarely hit Ron's head. "Merlin, help us," he muttered.

Harry ducked just as a similar projectile came barreling in his direction. He emerged from his retreat from the side of the bed but was caught unaware when a second pillow grazed the other side of his face. He rubbed it feebly and shrugged. "Well at least we know she's not a squib."

**End**

**A/N: After more than a year, it's finally over. **

**My thanks to all those who stayed with this story to the end and I'm again grateful for all your wonderful reviews that kept me going. Special thanks to my regular reviewers:**

**Sir Gawain of Camelot**** a.k.a. froggiesrcool (who really made my day by reviewing every chapter towards the end and for her amusing an alternative plot);**

**Destiny13 (Don't be sad, there are other great fanfic writers out there worth reading. Check it's an R/H fic site, where my stories are also posted. Also of my favorite sites though I'm not published there); **

**Will There Ever Be a Rainbow**** (sorry it's not purely Hermione-Ron, but I just couldn't help taking advantage of the romantic tension); **

**HarryLyr (thanks for all the praises); **

**Mushroom;**

**Dreamer22;**

**FredandGeorgeWeasleyareMYKings**

**FreeWinky;**

**GoggleheadLover **

**Nattieb; **

**Tmctflyboy**

**and to all those I failed to mention. You've been all been great readers. **

**I don't know when I'll write a new story or when I'll make outtakes of this one. I might be taking a long break in writing but I'll certainly post here again if I get a good plot bunny running.**

**Tell me how you like this epilogue and I promise to answer any more questions you have regarding this alternative universe I created.**

**One final disclaimer before I close: I don't own Harry Potter and the original magical world J. K. Rowling created. As for the title of this story, I got it from Alfred McCoy's Book "Closer than Brothers" (Anvil Publishing), a documentary about the Philippine Military Academy; so I humbly acknowledge that it's not mine either. **

**SpouseofOrestes**


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